Gone In The Storm ( A Haunted Fanfiction )
by CaptainBat
Summary: Demigoddess Amethyst Brine has spent her entire life believing the lie her father has hid behind. Now, eight years after breaking free from the Nether and becoming apart of the overworld, her eyes are being opened to the truth of who her only parent really is by three boys, who are his most recent haunting victims. In the end, will her loyalty to her father remain?
1. Hero In The Storm

**A/N: Welcome to the moment where I brutally destroy canon! XD No, not really. It just doesn't follow the events of the Haunted/Haunting; just has places from it. The personalities aren't perfect, since I'm still learning to write the guys, but I'm hoping to get better at it as I go along ^^ Just so you know, this first chapter has blood in it. And someone almost dying. And a creepy person who randomly appear from a world where squids can walk and talk. Uhm...yeah. #SORRYNOTSORRY**

" Armen! Get back here! " A male voice shouted, attempting to get his friend to hear him. The snow falling around him and his companions muffled almost all noise except for the wind howling around them, making it almost impossible to hear.

The black haired, blue-eyed boy looked behind him at his friend and groaned. " Draaakkkeee! I want to hurry up and get back to the house! It's BEYOND freezing! " he whined. I told you to at least wear a jacket or something... Drake thought to himself.

" And if you run on ahead and lose us you'll get lost in the blizzard and probbaly get frostbite or worse. " The blonde beside Drake called out. Armen groaned once more but walked over anyways. " How did you-? " Drake began to question his blonde friend, then stopped mid-sentance, shaking his head. " Nevermind. "

The trio continued walking. The snow had begun falling faster, and the wind had picked up. Snow and ice was pelting their faces, maiing the walk miserable. " Told you we should have hurried up! " Armen yelled over the windm, but it was barely audible over the deafening howls. " WHAT!? " Grayson shouted back. " I SAID, I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE HURRIED UP! " the blue-eyed boy screamed back.

" STOP SCREAMING! " Drake yelled. " YOU'RE SCREAMING TOO! " Grayson roared over the wind. " I WOULDN'T HAVE TO IF YOU TWO DIDN'T START YELLING IN THE FIRST PLACE! "

Armen knew that Drake had been suffering from unexplained headaches recently, and he linked his weird mood changes to him still being bothered by it even after the headache was gone. His thoughts began to wander as Drake and Grayson continued to bicker like an old married couple beside him, their shouts suddenly being heard over the blizzard.

As he blocked out his friends he began to wonder why he dan't listened to Drake and worn something more suited for the current weather. He knew that the storm had begun 3 years ago- so, obviously, it wouldn't let up now. How could he forget that it never stopped snowing and never quit being cold? It was an artic, after all. Yeah, sure it went from light flurries to full-out blizzards, but that was no excuse. Now he felt like a total idiot.

Armen's eyes scanned the snowy land around him- and one sight made him freeze. His muscles tensed up on him. His breathing quickened, and his heart started pounding faster and faster in his chest. Standing there, off in the distance, was a man. There were two things wrong with him standing there.

One: No other minecraftians lived around here- only Drake, Grayson, and Armen resided in the unending blizzard.

Two: The man was staring at him and hsi friends, which was creepy enough on it's own, since it made him feel like he was stalking them or something. But what made it worse was that eh reconized the face, like you'd reconize your childhood best friend.

Drake felt his long-time best friend tense up beside him, which could mean anything, since Armen got frightened over virtually everything they encountered. " Armen? Everything ok? " he asked, slightly worried. Armen tried to speak, but it only came out as a stutter. " H-H... " His voice trailed off as Drake followed his gaze- and he too froze, eyes wide.

" Uh...Grayson!? We might need to hurry up! Right now! " He called, worry in his voice. " Everything ok...? "The blonde asked, one eyebrow raised. He pointed in the direction of the man. Grayson followed his finger, then his face paled. " How has he already found us...? " he whispered. " Guys. Guys! " Armen yelled. " He's coming towards us! " He grabbed onto Drake's arm, eyes so wide they looked too big for his head. He had started shaking even more than before.

Drake began backing up as the man came closer. " RUN! " He shouted. He and Grayson spun around and began running, while Armen ran off to the side- which Drake didn't see. He believed his blue-eyed friend was still following them.

Armen couldn;t hear anything over the sound of his own breathing. The snow, which was falling even quicker than before, was striking his face and getting in his eyes, making it hard to see. Noy like he'd be ableto see through the endless white anyways. His limbs were begining to numb from the cold. It was hurting to keep on running. But he had to force himself to not stop. If he was to quit, he would be killed in an instant. He wasn't goign to die yet.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he forgot to pay attention to the invisable path he seemed to be following. He screamed as his foot shot downwards into a hole, giving him a sudden faceful of cold. He pushed himself up, spitting out melted snow, and rolled onto his back, pulling desperately on his foot. Nothing. He broke into a cold sweat, pulling harderon his foot. It still wouldn't budge. " No, no, no, no, no... " he whispered over and over again. " Oh god...please no...I don't want to die... "

A shadow fell over Armen. When he finally dared to look up, knowing that it would be the last thing he saw, the color drained from his face. He began shaking violently again, eyes remaining wide. " Wh-what do you want!?" He cried, trying to sound brave, but his voice cracks gave away his terror. The man didn't reply- not like he ever did, but it was still creepy. Just stood there, looking at Armen. The black-haired boy startd back, starting to get confused why he wasn;t doing anything.

The next events happened so fast that he barely even knew what was happening until a few moments after. One moment he was staring back into those soullesseyes, and the next he felt horrifying pain in his chest as the man stabbed him. Then he was gone. Dissapeared into the blizzard as though he was never there in the first place. Leaving Armen behidn to suffer in the snow- numb, weak, and dealing with a deep stab wound.

-2 Days Later-

She was running at full speed across the snowy landscape. Boundig beside her was her pet wold, who easily keptpace with her. She had been stuck in this new realm for a day now. She was frozen to the bone, and she was lost. Just great.

But she had seen lights on amongst the huge mounds of snow. People. That gave the girl newfound hope. Maybe those people would help her get back to her world. She sighed. Maybe. That was a pretty big maybe. No, not a big maybe. It was just a word, said to bring her some hope of returning to her friends. They wouldn't be able to help her- and even if they could, who says they would?

She was so wrapped up in her doubts that she forgot to pay attention to her path, and the next thing she knew she faceplanted into the snow. She sat upright, grumbling, and looked over to see what had cause her to trip. She gasped in shock. Someone, around her age, maybe a little older, was lyign on the ground, half burried in the snow. The white ground was stained crimson in the area where he was laying. A sword was stabbed into his chest, and the blood from the wound covered his shirt, arms, and face.

He was unconcious, and looked dead. The girl moved over next to him, seeing that his foot was stuck in a hole. She pulled it out carefully and gently remoed the sword from his chest. " Well then, you need medical help, and I need to get back home. So looks like you'recoming with me. " she informed the knocked out boy as she lifted him up out of the snow. The sword was grasped in her left hand, and suddenly it went orange, then went back to looking like a normal diamond sword. She frowned. "Oh,father...what have you done? "

Two days. Two DAYS since Armen was seperated from his friends when He attacked. Two days since he ran in another direction and quite possibly have sealed his fate. two days since he was last seen, quite possibly the last time he'd be seen alive. He didn't want to admit it, but Drake was scared.

The ender hybrid hadn't slept at all since he and Grayson had gotten home. He was exhausted. But he still sat there, in the dining room area, waitingfor that front door to open, for someone to knock,ANYTHING to know Armen was alive.

He yelped in fear when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His head snapped around to see who was behind him. It was only Grayson. He let out the air he hadn't realized he was holding in. " What? " he asked, sounding a little too harsh than intended. " I'm here to tell you to go to your room. You need sleep, Drake. You've barely blinked for two days! " The blonde cried.

" Yeah, so? Armen could be dead! I can't sleep now! " He countered. "Look, what if I keep watch instead? I'll wake you up if aything happens. " Drake sighed. " if you don't wake me up...! " "I will, Drake." Grayson assured him.

He stood upand walked to his and Armen's shared bedroom. He opened the door but didn;teven bother to turn on the lights. He stumbled over to his bed, exhaustion finally catching up with him. He collapsed on his bed, groaning in approal. He kinda missed his bed, to be honest. He rolled onto his side, thinking about whether or not he believed Armen would come home.

A few minutes later he was asleep.

-Three Hours Later-

Drake snapped awake to the sound of a scream. " Grayson? " He called worridly. No answer. " Grayson! " he yelled, getting up and running to the the bedroom door,yanking it open. Before him was a sight he would never forget. A girl with elbow-length brown hair stood in the dining area, leaning on a wall. Her clothes weren't suited for the weather, so he could infer that she had to be freezing. A wolf lay at her feet, it's togue lolling from it's mouth. The wolf's tail thumped against the floor, yapping quietly when it saw Drake.

Grayson stood with his back to him, holding someone, or something in his arms, murmurring quietly. On closer inspection, he got a shock. That person was Armen. " Armen! " Drake cried. " Shush, Drake. " Grayson scolded him. He went quiet and ran over to them. His friend'scodition greatly worried him. He growled, looking at the girl, acting all nonchalant.

He was about to yell and accusation at her, but she spoke first." I didn't hurt your friend, if that's what you'rethinking. I found this sword still stabbed in him. He shouldn'teven be alive right now." She said calmly. " How did you...? ""Know what you were going to say? Easy. Have had that said to me ALOT. " He just stared at her until he felt the presence of Grayson no longer beside him.

Drake turned around to see him walking towards one of the rooms of one of the former oil rih workers. He glanced at the girl to see her talking to her dog, having now knelt down. He sighed, knowing she wouldn't try to hurt Armen with both him and Grayson around him. Drake ran after his blonde friend.

When he reached the room he saw Grayson gently lay Armen down on the bed in the room. He walked over. Grayson sighed. "I'm pretty sure the wound is infected. That chick wasn't lying. He should be dead. It's a miracle he still has a heartbeat. " Drake looked at his injured best friend. His chest barely rose with each shallow breath. Blood covered his shirt. Some of his arms, and some of his face had blood drops scattering on it. He felt slightly sick.

" Grayson?" he asked, voice low and nervous sounding. " Yah,Drake?" " Who was the person who screamed? " Grayson smiled a little. " That would be me. I opened the door when Iheard someone knock. I guess seeing Armen freaked me out. "

He laughed. " Nice, Grayson. " Drake mumbled as they left the room; Drake so he could keep an eye on the girl, Grayson so he could get some materials to help Armen. A sudden blast of cold air freaked them both out. The door stood ajar, snow blowing inside. They looked at each other. The girl and wolf were gone.

Grayson reached the door first. He peered outside, and his frightened face changing to confused. Both friends stepped outside to see the girl and her wolf standing on top of a snow hill. The sword she had entered with glowed orage in her grasp.

Her voice hit their ears as though she was right next to them instead of on the hill. " I know you're here, Father. No more innocents are to be hurt by you. Now, your daughter has arrived. And you'll regret ever hurting these people. I'll make sure of that. " The wold raised it's head and howled, as if sealing a promise between animal and human. Drake gulped. What was that supposed to mean?

 **First chapter done! Starting on writing chapter 2 in my notebook~! Expect alot more whenever christmas break rolls around 3 Hoep you enjoyed it~!**

 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters~!**

 **-Angelmoon101**


	2. Pasts Hidden

**Lesson learned- Never play Sims 3 and buy something in the game before saving the game abnd your story, or you'll lose all progress. So mad now -.-**

Sleepless nights had changed to full nights of rest since Armen was saved. Drake's worry for his best friend still lingered in his mind, but it was long since pushed aside, knowing that he was back home, with Grayson and him. He'd be fine.

They had decided to let the girl stay with them for the time being. Her name was Amethyst, and she wasn't originally from their world. She told them about a land where hybrids were a very common sight. Where three huge armies ruled, no smaller groups daring to defy them. Where humanized squids ruled one of the armies. Endermen hybrids, like Drake, and Ender Dragon hybrids made up another.

Amethyst's army was a mix of hybrids and humans. She claimed to be one of the human recruits, but Drake nor Grayson ws sure of that due to her eyes, which looked _very_ inhuman to them. They were actually rather creepy. They always seemed blank and expressionless, so you could almost never tell her emotions. Very weird.

It was late the next morning, three days since Amethyst arrived, when Drake awoke to quiet voices that weren't quiet enough for him to sleep through. Jerks. He smiled anyways, knowing that the voices belonged to Amethyst and Grayson. The two had become quite close, which was good for both of them.

He rolled over onto his side, closing his eyes once more. he actually felt...at peace for once in a long time. It was nice. He managed to sleep in for another 15 or so minutes before getting up.

He went to Armen's temporary room, where he was sleeping peacefully, unaware to everything that was happening around him. His stab would had been infected, like Grayson had predicted, but it was getting better. He sighed. " You need to wake up soon, buddy. " He murmured, even though he knew his younger friend wouldn't be able to hear him.

Leaving the room, he headed over to the table, where Grayson and Amethyst were sitting. They were still talking, not having taken notice of the ender hybrid yet. Zayliee, the wolf that arrived with Amethyst, barked when she saw Drake. Both minecraftians looked up, takign notice of him. Grayson smiled. " Morning, Drake. Sleep Well? " he asked. Drake nodded and sat down, Grayson throwing an apple at him. He caught it effortlessly wityh one hand, takign a bite from it. " How's Armen doing? " The blonde asked, knowing Drake would check up on him every morning. " Now awake yet. but it looks like the infection is fading. " Grayson nodded slightly, takign a drink from his glass. " That's good. " he murmured.

The three of them talked for a little while until grayson had to go and work some more healing magic on Armen. Drake and Amethyst stayed quiet, not wanting to cause Grayson to mess up and hurt himself or Armen.

" So...I'm still not following the whole ' Human squid ' and army thing...mind explaining it more?" He asked the brunette, breaking the very awkward silence. She nodded. " Alright. What do you want to know more about? " " Everything. "

She nodded again before talking. " So, in my home, there are three armies; the Sky Army, which is the army I lived in, The Squid Army, obviously home to the humaized squids, and the Shadow Army, home to the ender hybrids. I just call them the Triple SA for short, though. The Sky Army and Squid Army have hated each other from the start. it's believed that the squids were the killers of the Sky Army's king, Sky, but both him and his sister refuse to talk about that time. I'm not for sure what turned the squids human; I was 15 or so when i joined the army, but I'm thinking it was a potion or magic mistake; also known as Seto screwed up somewhere. " he laughed. " Who's Seto? " " friend of mine. He's the Sky Army's sorcerer. He would end up doing something like that. " She todl him, shrugging. " But I don't really know. "

" Wo- " he was cut off as he heard a thump and a muffled ' ow ' from the room Armen and Grayson were in. Both of them laughed. " Grayson... " they said at the same time.

The two of them continued chatting between drinks or bites of food, laughing every once and a while. Amethyst was in the middle of another explanation when she stopped suddenly. Creakign slightly, the door to Armen's room opened. Grayson stepped out, smiling. He was followed by...Armen? "

" Armen! " Drake cried when he saw him. He leaped up, runiing over and hugging him. The cyan-eyed boy squeaked. " Oww...too tight...hurting my chest, dude... " he hissed. Drake loosened his grip some, sliming at his younger freidn in slight embarrasment. " Uhh..sorry. " Armen smiled and rested his head on Drake's shoulder. " It's fine. "

Both just stood there, Drake's arms wrapped around Armen, his hands resting on his back, Armen standing the same way the ender hybrid was. His eyes were closed, and he was still smiling.

Amethyst walked over, taking another long drink from her glass. Grayson laughed. " Think you've had enough to drink, Amethyst? " he asked her jokingly. She rolled her eyes, smirking. " Yeah, Grayson, because I can soo get drunk off of hot chocolate. " " You know, someone could probably do that." Grayson replied. Drake chuckled quietly.

Armen opened his eyes and moved his head so he could see where the female voice was coming from. " Who're you? " He asked her. " Amethyst. Not from this world; and the one who saved your butt. " She informed him. Armen glanced up at Drake. " Uhm... " " Just accept it. She lives around human squids. Who knows if she's sane or not. "

" I am too sane! " The brunette protested. " Sort of.. " She added, sipping her drink.

Zayliee suddenly started barking and howling loudly. " Zayliee! Hush! " Amethyst snapped. The wolf continued making a racket, eyes on the door. Amethyst rolled her eyes and walked to the door, opening it. Her face paled slightly, but she recovered before the boys noticed anything and closed the door. " See? Nothing there. " She said, speaking a little too quickly. She put her glass down, feeling her heart pounding wildly in her chest. " I...need to do something. " She mumbled, running to her room and slamming the door. The boys stared after her, confused. " Yeah...totally sane... " Armen mumbled.

The brunette sunk to the floor, leaning against her door. She was grasping her diamond sword tightly in her hand, the one she kept hidden under her bed so the boys wouldn't see. Amethyst bit her lip to hold back the tears threating to fall. She inhaled sharply as her hhands began glowing orange. " Not now...not today... " she whispered. The sword began to glow as well, which was normal; but she didn't want it to glow like it was. She squeezed her eyes shut. " Don't let them see you liek this, Amethyst...Don't feel the fire within you...If you make one mistake, they'll all know about Him... " she told herself. She opened her eyes again. Both glowing; One white and one yellow. " Keep your past hidden, Amethyst Brine. "

She fell asleep against the door, the sword sliding from her hand and clattering softly to the floor. It slowly faded back to it's normal blue color and remained that way for the rest of the night.

 **Amethyst is the new Elsa XD Jk, jk. Anyways, what she saw outside will be explained in the next chapter. I'm really excited to start writing it. This chapter wasn't the best, but ehh. At least you guys have something to read from me.**

 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters**

 **-Angelmoon101**


	3. Fighting Fire With Fire

**HEY HEY HEY Y'ALL! Didja miss me, my mineshafters? I sure missed you guys. So, uh...Yeah, I have no excuse for not writing, unless that I got bored and moved on for a while counts...? I don't think it does. I'm SO sorry for not updating DX So, as I work on Chapter 3, why not give you guys a little look at what I've done over the past few days? Not MUCH happens in the preview, but hopefully you guys will be excited for the rest of it!**

When the brunette returned from sleep, there was one thing she noticed instantly. She was no longer leaning against the door of the room. Instead, she was in the bed, Zayliee curled by her stomach, grey fur brushing her arm. Amethyst ran a hand gently over her pet's ears, who raised her head with the movement. She smiled softly and sat up, rubbing her eyes and pulling a few strands of her brown hair from her mouth.

She lay there for a few moments, just cuddling with her wolf, until stiffening suddenly. Her sword. _Where_ was her sword!? She flung herself from the bed, red sheets flying back, startling Zayliee. She began throwing things around the room in search of it, clearly panicking. She spun around back towards the bed, and she felt her shoulders slump and she sighed in relief as she saw it resting in front of the bed. She picked it up, relishing in the familiar weight in her hands. The blue glistened orange for a few seconds, and she sighed. She'd have to be careful about that around the boys.

She lay the sword on the foot of the bed and clicked her tongue to tell Zayliee to follow her, opening the door as she did so. Amethyst noticed she was the only one awake, as no lights were on and the door to Drake and Armen's room was closed. She couldn't see Grayson's, but she assumed it was the same. She looked at Zayliee, smiling. " Looks like we have the place to ourselves, Zay. You hungry, girl? " Zayliee barked at her, bouncing a few times. She laughed and shushed her. " Shh, girl. You'll wake the boys up. We don't want that, do we? " She put her hand on the animal's head. Zayliee leaned her head back, nuzzling her hand. Amethyst laughed once more and walked towards the kitchen. The grey beast followed.

She began opening the cabinets in the small kitchen, searching for something for her and her pet to eat. The brunette remembered hearing Drake complaining about how Grayson hid all the food, and refused to tell them where it is. She chuckled. He may not be able to find it, but he didn't a wolf trained to hunt and track like Zayliee was.

Said beast was helping her master in her search for food. She was scratching at the cabinet doors, pulling them open, and sniffing around, obviously on the scent of something. She began to yip loudly, clawing violently at the floors of one of the empty cabinets.

The girl walked over and nudged her pet out of the way. She began feeling along the bottom of the storage, until her fingers brushed along a tiny crack that ran around each side of the cabinet in the shape of a square. She grinned as she locked her nails, which had rather badly chipped soft orange nail polish on them, in the crack and under the wood. " Bingo. "

Beneath the wooden panel was all of Grayson's food. From uncooked meat- good thing the storage was _freezing-_ to the apples they had eaten yesterday to what looked like cake- _why exactly did Grayson have cake...?_ This man has everything down here!

She removed some of the meat from the storage, as both owner and pet had been lacking it lately; what meat is was, she didn't know or care to know. As she began to cooking the food, she turned to face Zayliee, who as now sitting with her tongue lolling from her mouth. " C'mon, Zay. It's freezing in here. You know how I hate the cold. Let's light the fire. " The wolf barked in answer and stood, following her master out of the kitchen.

Amethyst headed to the nearby fireplace, and the only one she knew about, which was in the entrance hallway. She knelt beside it, ready to light it, when she paused. She had nothing to light it with. She quickly looked around, eyes wide. Zayliee started at her in confusion. The girl looked at her and sighed. " I don't want them to wake up and see me doing this, Zay... " The grey beat responded to her fears by rubbing her master's cheek with her head. She smiled at Zayliee and turned back to face the empty fire again, extending her hand to it. She moved her fingers lightly and a small flame rose from them. Amethyst held it to the wood and it caught fire, soon spreading and lighting the whole fireplace ablaze. Warmth filled the room.

She sighed in relief and rose to her feet. " That's better. Now, let's see how our food is..." She trailed off as she headed back to the kitchen. Thankfully, it hadn't taken long for the food to cook, as it wasn't very much. She removed it and walked to the table, sitting in the seat she had taken over since she got here, Zayliee by her feet once more. She split the food in half, one part going to Zayliee and the other staying with her. They ate in silence, just enjoying the quiet.

When she finished Amethyst let her hand fall off the table, which fell in front of Zayliee. She started licking her master's hand, who started laughing. " Zayliee, stop. That feels weird! " She cried, pulling her hand away and rising. " I will never get used to that, Girl. " She told the wolf, wiping her hand on her pants, which Grayson was letting her borrow from him to replace her shorts. Zayliee made to stand, but she shook her head. " I'll only be gone a few moments, Z. I need to get something. " Zayliee whined but sat back down anyways.

Amethyst walked back to her room, returning a few moments later with the jacket Grayson was loaning her,her sword, a grey and green scarf, a scrap of paper, and a pen. She set the paper down, scribbling a few words on it, before turning around, putting the blade in it's sheath at her waist. She pulled on the black jacket. " Come on, Zayliee. We have things to do. " And with a click of her tongue, they were off into the cold once more.

Drake opened his eyes, feeling groggy. He groaned, rubbing them. Had he overslept? He rolled over, ready to slide out of bed, until he remembered that he's not on the bottom bunk; Instead, he's on the top one. He glanced down to the lower one, who Armen now lay, breathing still slightly raspy, for once having a peaceful look on his face. His black hair was messier than it usually was, and he looked much younger than he really was; looking to me late teens rather than the mid twenties he was. Drake smiled softly as he jumped down from his bunk, stumbling as he hit the floor. He gently shook his younger friend. " Armen, wake up. " he murmured softly as Armen's cerulean eyes opened and he looked sleepily up at Drake. He smiled, but it was awkward and unnatural, as if he was drunk. Drake struggled not to laugh at him. " Good morning, Armen.

The lazy smile remained. " G'morning, Drake. " he mumbled, slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position, as his wound, though healed, was still sore. " Think you can get up on your own? " Drake asked. Armen rolled his eyes. " Drake, quit worryin' so much. I'm fine! " he swung his legs off the side of the bed, wincing at the quick movement. Drake rolled his eyes at him, almost mocking Armen. " Yeah, sure you're fine. " He took ahold of one of his arms and rested his free hand on the younger's back, helping to push him to his feet. Armen glared at him. " I could have done it myself, Drake! " He muttered.

He laughed. " Well, all that matters is that you're up. C'mon, I think we overslept today. I don't think Grayson's up either, but since the lights are on I could be wrong. "

The black haired boy nodded as the duo left the room. Sure enough, there was no Grayson to be seen, but a fire was going and the room smelled faintly of cooked meat. Drake frowned. If Grayson wasn't awake, then who did all of that? He then remember that they had another member in their home who's door was open, had a note before her place at the table, and was nowhere to be se- wait, a note!?

He led Armen to a chair, helping him sit down before reaching across the table and grabbing the note. He leaned on the table as he read the writing, which was rather large, but thin, and the letters were close together, which made it difficult to read.

 _Left base w/ Zayliee_

 _Be back whenever_

 _Stay safe_

 _-Thyst_

He frowned. Amethyst had only been here for a little less than a week. She had hardly been outside. Where could she possibly be going? Drake set the note back on the table. Armen looked yp at him. " Armen, go wake Grayson up. I have to go after Amethyst. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid, " He told the younger. The black-haired boy nodded. " Be careful. " He told Drake, who smiled. " I can say the same for you, buddy. "

After quickly grabbing a jacket and a weapon, he headed for the door. He waved to Armen before leaving the base after their missing companion.

The storm had only worsened when she left, almost as if it was trying to deter her from continuing on, to stop her from fulfilling her current quest. But snow didn't faze her. Sure, she hated it, and before joining the army she would have been terrified of it, as she had never seen it before, and it wasn't good for the being she is at all, but her fire kept her warm enough to withstand it. Zayliee had all her fur to keep her warm as well, so neither payed very much attention to the white swirl around them.

Amethyst had removed her sword once more, grasping it in her hand. It wasn't it's usual flickering soft orange color, but instead remained a solid, blinding orange color. She was close, and there was no chance that she'd pass up the chance she'd been given.

The muted sound of snow crunching underfoot reached the ears of both beast and master. The young brunette turned to face the figure behind her, eyes narrowed. " I was not expecting you to shoe up. I must say, I am quiet impressed. " her voice had slid back to it's usual, more proper speak, the way Alister had drilled into her head to talk. " Why are you here? "

" Well, you wanted me to come, did you not? " The figure, not revealed to be a man, asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. " Not here, with me. Out here in this winter wasteland, tormenting these poor men. Why? You have a kingdom to rule. People to defend. " She frowned, a look of sadness crossing her face. " A child you could have been raising. "

The man snarled. " You were the one who left our kingdom, Amethyst!" " I was no longer happy there! That's why I joined the army! And even there things weren't better, if not worse! I was considered a monster. A demon. A freak. Killer. Unstable. All because of _YOU'RE_ actions! Because of all you have killed! All the chaos and terror you've caused. Ever family you've torn apart. I ca=ould never be normal because of you! "

" Yet you try. " Moving quickly, he grabbed her arm and yanked her bangs back, revealing two pupil-less eyes; one white, one gold, both filled with pure rage for the man before her. " You've tried so hard to be normal, and to fit in with everyone else, to hide who and what you are. But you can't deny who you are, Amethyst brine. " He leaned closer to her face. " You are, and always will be, my child. "

A snarl raised in her throat as she shoved him away from her, ripping her arm free. " Do not touch me. " She spat. " Go home, Amethyst. What I do here shouldn't concern you. "

" I cannot go home, Father! I am trapped here! There is no way for me to return to the army, or the kingdom, even if I wanted to! " Amethyst cried. Zayliee moved forward, in front of her master, snarling at her father. He scoffed. " Stupid mutt. " he easily tossed her to the side with a flick of his wrist, where she hit the snowy ground with a yelp. Amethyst gasped. " Zayliee! " She turned to face her father once more. Her eyes were glowing so bright you could hardly see her face. In a matter of seconds she lunged at her father and swung her blade at him. He bent back, dodging the flaming sword. Her eyes widened, and she blinked, before slashing at him once more. He dodged again, and when he straightened he grabbed hold of her arm, squeezing her wrist so she let go of the blade.

She whimpered as the pressure kept increasing. Thinking quick, she let her hand alight and she pushed her palm into his face. The sudden heat startled him and he let go, stumbling back. Amethyst picked up her sword once more and nudged the whining Zayliee behind her. Raising both hands, she formed a fire circle around them. Her father, having recovered from the shock, glared at her.

" How can I trust anything you say, Father? " Amethyst screamed at him. " How can i, when every time you speak, I only ever heard lies! " The fire circle began receding toward her outstretched palms, beginning to form a ball. " How can I ever believe you again!? You've lived to me about Mother. About why you were never around throughout my childhood. About the mortals...everything! Was there ever any truth to your words? " he didn't answer her. She growled, and sent the ball of fire straight at him. He threw his hands up, a force field of flames forming before him, deflecting the fire, which bounced off and disappeared.

She continued sending balls of fire at him, each being knocked away . Growing tired of his daughter's useless attacks, his force-field swirled back to his hand before he thrust it out, palm facing her. A wall of fire formed and rushed at her, knocking her off her feet with a grunt. He smirked at her, then in an instant was gone. She staggered to her feet, looking around with wide eyes, before groaning at his retreat. " Coward. " she muttered under her breath.

" Remember, Amethyst, " his voice came from nowhere. " I will return, and you will regret attacking and defying me. " " I expected nothing less, Father. " she responded coolly, dusting off her clothes. There was no answer.

Sliding her sword back into it's sheath, she clicked her tongue, and Zayliee fell in beside her, limping slightly. She frowned at that, not liking her closest companion being injured. Both woman and animal began heading back towards the base, hoping no one would question her disappearance, or Zayliee's limp.

When she got back, she took note that the door was wide open. She frowned. She'd closed it, hadn't she? She'd lit a fire before leaving; the door being open wouldn't change the temperature at all from what it originally was. She didn't want the boys to freeze to death when they were sleeping.

Upon stepping inside, Amethyst found herself being tackled to the floor. Startled, she threw the person across the room, eyes wide. Zayliee snarled, lips curling back at those who dared try and harm her master.

Who she saw that attacked her made her heart almost stop. Grayson was across the room, sword in hand, teeth gritted. Drake was off to the side, almost grasping a blade, glaring at her. Armen was behind him, staring at her with wide blue eyes.

" _WHAT_ in Notch's name is going on!? Have you all gone crazy!? " She cried, voice going back to the fake one she had formed. " I could say the same to you, _Amethyst Brine_. " Grayson spat at her. Her eyes got impossibly wider. " Wh-wha-But how!? " She was honestly shocked. How did they know about her? She'd been out there alone!

" Drake saw your note. Went out after you to make sure you weren't doing anything stupid. Guess what her found. " Grayson was on his feet, moving towards her. " Amethyst, the stranger in the storm, fighting with fire against our current attacker, and that all could have been fine- until you called him your father, and he got a look at your eyes. " he held his sword out towards her. " Have anything to say for yourself, Amethyst? For lying to us, making us trust you? "

" I swear, to all, that I can explain everything you have witnessed today. " She breathed, stepping back away from the blade. " This does not have to resort to violence. I do not wish any harm upon any of you. I am nothing like my father expect in looks and skills. " She glanced around the room at each of the boys.

 _" I swear to you on my life, that I speak the truth. "_

 **Well, there it is, y'all! GITS Chapter 3! I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It;s not as long as I would want it to be, but I've had a lot going on recently; My great aunt and uncle came up to visit, my grandpa's birthday was yesterday, my OTHER grandpa's birthday is tomorrow, school has been weighing down on me, I have two concerts coming up ( one on Sunday for choir, one of Monday for band ) I've been playing at basketball games a few times this month for my symphonic band, I broke up with my boyfriend, and ended up with a new one, like, 20 minutes later ( cause I told the boy that likes me I was single and he asked me out...yeah XD ) AND My birthday is next Saturday! I share it with my friend, Carter, so we're currently counting down the days. It's pretty fun X3**

 **Ok, enough about my life. Things are moving a LITTLE quick in the story, but it had to happen pretty soon when Amethyst's true identity is revealed. She couldn't hide it for much longer. it just wasn't gonna happen.**

 **Remember; if you have any questions, feel free to ask! I love knowing you guys want to know more about the story and, as I don't describe things well, knowing you guys are asking lets me know you actually wanna understand what's going on.**

 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters~**

 **-CaptainBat**


	4. Look At Life

**Shorter chapter because I wanted to hurry up and begin the actual plot of the story**

 **Don't think I'll be updating this quick for a little bit, as school starts up again in a week or so, and I've been derping around with my BTR OCs Loud'NSound and my new IPad XD I may be releasing a new story soon, which is about my Loud'NSound girls. I'm honestly excited for it XD**

The crying had quieted down a few minutes ago, but the young woman didn't want to leave her child alone yet, since she tended to get fussy pretty quickly. She was seated in the nursery's rocking chair, her four-month-old daughter wrapped in a soft white blanket in her arms, rocking her gently, hoping it would keep her calm. Even at such a young age, her daughter craved so much attention from her mother. Just like her father, she thought with a fond smile.

Said baby was currently staring up at her mother with her beautiful white and gold eyes. She had one tiny hand in her mouth, chewing on it. The orange-haired woman's smile grew. Lifting her hand, that wasn't in the baby's mouth and and gently pressing her lips to it. The baby removed her hand from her mouth and waved it at her mother, gurgling.

She laughed softly as she readjusted her tiny child, pressing her head against her shoulder. " You really are just like your daddy, aren't you, Amethyst? " She asked the infant, stroking her growing brown hair. Amethyst answered with a high pitched squeak. She laughed, louder than previously.

The nursery door opened, and a man, presumably the father, entered. The woman sparred him a glance and a nod before focusing back on her daughter. " I see you've gotten her to quiet down. " he told his wife as he knelt beside the chair. He raised his hand and stroked his child's cheek with one of his fingers. She leaned against him, a little grin curling on her face.

" Pass her here, Rowan. " He murmured. A light weight settled in his arms as his little girl's eyes switched from her mother to her father. He smiled and held her close, nuzzling her. She giggled and reached up her father's face. " i see you, Amethyst. " He took her hand in his and pressed it to his cheek.

The family stayed like that for a while, maybe a little longer than necessary. " Should she be able to go to sleep now and STAY asleep, my love? " He asked, looking at his ginger wife. She nodded " I think she's had enough attention tonight. " Rowan stood and lifted her child from his arms. He rose to his feet as well, heading for the door while wife wife laid his child in her crib. She walked over to join her lover as they both glanced back at the child. " Sleep well, my little jewel. " He called out softly to the baby, before both parents left the room, closing the door behind them.

The screaming had begun again. Three year old Amethyst winced as the noise hit her ears, making her head hurt bad. She didn't get why her Mommy and Daddy fought so much. Was it her fault? tears welled in her eyes. She didn't want Mommy and Daddy to be mad at each other 'cause of her. She wanted them to love each other again.

The toddler looked around the corner to where her parents were. Mommy's hand was on the blades she carried, her father's over an old bottle. Her mother;s back was to her daughter, both adults screaming so loud she was surprised the walls weren't shaking.

Her father grasped the bottle tighter before her hurled it at the ginger queen. She gave a shrill shriek and ducked. The bottle missed her head; instead, flying at the small child in the doorway. She screamed and curled up, covering her head with her small arms to somewhat protect herself. She was used to this. When Mommy and Daddy got violent in fighting, things got thrown a lot. Amethyst was often hit by missed attacks.

Instead of having glass piercing her body, she was lifted into the air and swung around, the bottle hitting her hero instead of the toddler. Her small finger grasped out and landed on fabric. Arms cradled her gently to a chest, in which she hit her face in.

" Alisteeer...! " She wailed, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She was adjusted and held closer as the family butler, a pigman named Alister, turned to face the fuming king and queen, who both now sported guilty faces for almost hurting their little girl; the only thing that they both and a similar feeling for, which was unending love.

" I've had enough of this, Your Majesties, and I'm certain that I'm not the only one who feels this way. Your child cannot live happily with how you two act! You're unhappy with one another, you make everyone miserable and not want to work around the fortress anymore, and you're becoming downright abusive to the young princess! You can either decide to make up and fix things, " his eyes narrowed. " Or end this toxic marriage. "

The couple stared at each other before the king growled. " Out. " " Wh-what!? Herobrine, you can't- " Rowan cried out in horror. " I. Said. OUT, Rowan. We're done. This marriage is over. So is your involvement in my child's life. "

" You're child!? I believe you're mistaken. No, YOUR involvement in MY child's life is over. She's my kid, not yours! " She shouted. " Too bad, Go. Either you leave willingly, or you will be removed. By force. " He saw tears starting to fall down her face but he didn't care. He longer had a place for the woman in his heart. She sniffled. " Can I at least say goodbye to her? " she whispered. " Two minutes. Then I want you gone. " he growled at his now ex-wife. She nodded.

That was the last time Amethyst ever saw her mother.

The only noise in the room was the fire and lava crackling outside. The nether King, Herobrine, was sitting down, head in his hands, almost asleep. It was almost mid afternoon, but he was exhausted. It was one of those rare moments that he would actually admit that he kind of missed Rowan being around...

The silence was broken by small shoes hitting the floor, and a tiny voice squealing out " DADDY! DADDY! "

His tired eyes moved to the door as a little girl with long brown hair burst through the door. " Daddy! " She shrieked, running over to him and launching her hair into his arms. He smiled and put his arms around his six year old to keep her from falling. " Hello, my little jewel. " He cooed, kissing her forehead.

She giggled before shoving something into his hands. " Look, Daddy! Look at what I made with Abarrane, Aalisha, and Aami! " He silently praised the fortresses stylists. The A Sisters had to have some serious willpower to stay strong and deal with his little ball of energy. He looked down at his hands. In there was a necklace, made of shimmering quartz and netherrack. He rested his head on his daughter's. " It looks wonderful, Amethyst. " he praised. She gave him a wide grin. " Thanks, Daddy! "

"Here, why don't we put it on you? " He asked her. She shook her head. " No, Daddy. Not for me. For you! " His eyes widened slightly before a happier expression appeared on his face. " For me? Thank you, Baby girl. "

Her eyes shone as she leaned over, sliding it over his head and letting it fall around his neck. He pulled her to his chest, squeezing her tightly. She snuggled against him, her small arms only reaching halfway around him.

He didn't know what he'd done to get a child like her. After everything he'd done, and everyone he'd hurt, he'd somehow still been blessed with such a sweet child as Amethyst.

As he pressed his nose into her brown hair, he made a promised that no matter what happened in the future, he wouldn't let anyone or anything take his little blessing away from him.

He'd just returned from taking care of some business a ways away from the fortress where they had made their kingdom. He'd been gone for a little over a week, and badly missed his little girl, who was now 15. Usually, when he returned, Amethyst would be the first to greet him. This time was different, however. They was no teenager running over to the doors to tackle her father into a hug. In fact, there was...no one around.

" Hello? " He called out, walking through the entrance hall. There was no reply. Frowning, he headed for the living area, wondering if his daughter might be in there.

As he walked, he bumped into Alister, who squeaked in surprise, which was VERY unlike him. " Alister? " He asked. " Y-Your Majesty! " He sounded worried. " Is everything alright, Alister? " He was getting suspicious. " Hmm? O-oh, yes, yes, Your Majesty, everything is alright... " The pigman mumbled. He raised an eyebrow. " Alister, what's wrong? " " Nothing, Sir! " He grabbed Alister's arm.

" Alister...where is Amethyst? " " A-Amethyst? " " yes, Alister, Amethyst. Where is she? She didn't greet me like normal. "

Alister's eyes widened before he looked at the floor. " Sh-She's...she's gone, Your Majesty. She managed to light the Nether Portal, bypass your brother's curse, and leave. She's in the surface now. " Herobrine's eyes widened and he let go of Alister, stumbling back in shock. Amethyst, his daughter, his light, his little jewel, was gone.

And him, trapped here in this hell by his stupid brother's curse, could not go after her. She was lost to him and the other nether beings now, put at the mercy of the mortal beings that roamed Minecraftia.

For the first time in years, he wanted to cry.

His fingers brushed over the worn down stones on the string around his neck. Even after all these years, he'd never gotten rid of it. He just couldn't let go of what he had left of his girl. Of the memories her still had of when she was little, and was oblivious to the horrors of the world.

His free hand curled into a was their fault. Those idiotic mortals that his brother was so insistant on keeping safe and as harm free as he could...If they didn't cause so much trouble, then he would be living happily with his child! His little jewel would still be at his side.

His lips slid back as he watched her brown hair disappear into the snow storm. Those boys she'd ended up with; they'd turned her completely against him! It was their fault she refused to walk with him once more!

Herobrine swore that he'd make them all pay for what they'd done to his family and his life. And what better time for payback than the present?

" Why should be trust you? " Grayson growled at the demigoddess. She sighed. " You shouldn't, that is, if you do not wish to. But please, do hear me out, and listen to my side of the story. " She stared at the boys, and, when she didn't get an answer, removed her sword from her back. Armen shrunk back, Drake took a step forward, and Grayson tightened his hold on his sword. She raised an eyebrow at them as she laid her sword on the floor and slid it over to Grayson. She commanded something to Zayliee in a strange language, who whined but retreated to her side anyways, laying beside her on the floor. " I surrendered my weapons. I request you lower yours as well, please. "

The boys looked at each other before putting their swords down, crossing their arms. " Ok. Now talk. " Drake told her.

She sighed and walked over to the table, taking a seat in her place. " I cannot tell you much, simply for...personal reasons. But, let's just say...my father and I are not on the best of terms as of the present time. Around the time I was eight years old, I...began to understand what my father truly did when he would leave our fortress for long periods of time. He would go to the homes of the people we had issues with in the nether and...and kill them. I was never supposed to find out, but I heard him discussing it with our family butler and close adviser, Alister. That was the main reason I left the kingdom when I was 15. My uncle, Notch...yes, Armen, he is real, you just do not see him because he prefers to stay in the Aether and be with his subjects, so, please, loose that look...

" Anyways, Notch put a curse on all the beings of the Nether after a large battle between my father and him...Father accused him of favoring their sister,middle child Endonia, over him, and he attacked Notch. he had no choice but to lock him in the Nether with his subjects to keep the mortals, his subjects, and Endonia's subjects, safe from his explosive rampages. We were only allowed to leave every ten years, on the Summer Solstice, as we don't fare well in heat. But, as I am half mortal, I was able to bypass the ten year mark, and enter the mortal world, where I lived in the Sky Army from then up till I ended up here. I was highly discriminated against for who my father was, what he'd done, my kingdom, and my bloodline. I vowed then and there that I would cut off all connection to him, and and begin my own life without his actions governing my life. But, now, he's back, and we are together again. If you wish to stop him, and keep Minecraftia safe...you will need my help. " She looked at all of them. " So, will you let go of Amethyst...And choose to give Amethyst Brine a chance? "

The boys stared at her, then at each other, seeming to come to an agreement through looks. Grayson picked up her sword and tossed to to her. She caught it and slid it back into her back, rising to her feet and stretching her hand out to the blonde. He took it. " I guess we should give her a chance to prove herself. Who knows what kind of help she could be to us. " She smiled. For the first time since she arrived, she felt at peace.

At least, she did, until the windows lit up orange as fires began to rage outside, as explosions began to echo along with it in a terrible harmony of chaos and danger.

 **So, yeah. I like leaving you all wondering what's gonna happen. I plan on doing that as many chapters as possible. You also got a glimpse at Amethyst's childhood, and you'll get more looks at that, the past with Notch, Herobrine, and Endonia, and other history that plays an important roll in Amethyst's history.**

 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters!**

 **-CaptainBat**


	5. A New Storm

**Hey, new chapter! I have an excuse this time. I've been working on another story; my BTR fanfiction, Loud'NSound. That, and I haven't had much inspiration, I've been stressed over school ( I had a B in math, and I was lose of being grounded for it ) and I had a science test that I was freaking out over ( I got an A plus on it, if you were wondering, so I guess my mad studying for it helped some ) so, yeah. ONTO THE FANFICTION!**

Amethyst ripped herself away from Grayson. Her sword was alight once more, the glow matching her eyes. " What's going on? " Drake yelled over the loud booms. " He is here. I must have angered him more than I planned to. " Amethyst told him, a guilty look on her face. " We don't know that for sure, 'Thyst. Don't put the blame on yourself yet. " Grayson rested a hand on her shoulder as he grabbed his sword. " For now, we need to drive him off. Ideas? "

" Of course, " The demigodess' voice was calm. " We fight him. " A particularly powerful explosion rocked the walls and made stone fall from the ceiling. " Are you crazy! " Armen cried. She raised her voice to be heard over all the noise. " With my sword, and my powers countering his, I can give you an advantage; or a chance to escape. " The eldest nodded. " Whatever it takes, do it, Amethyst. "

" What about Armen? " Drake spoke up. " If he cannot be driven away, we must leave the base. " The brunette's voice emotion didn't change. We most likely will not have a chance to return for him. Keep him outside with us, with protect him at all costs. "

He dipped his head, showing he understood. Amethyst cast him a small smile before running towards the door, her face morphing into a blank, serious look. The walls we at a risk of crumbling, and the windows were pure orange. She only hoped they would get him away or escape themselves before it collapses. It could block their only escapes. She could her the pants and small thuds of paws, showing Zayliee had joined her as she opened the door.

She couldn't hold in the gasp of shock when the icy wind, mixing badly with the smoke, hit her. She coughed as she stumbled out, tugging her scarf farther over her mouth. The boys exited after her, Armen remaining behind them. " I can't see them, " Grayson shouted through his own coughs. " He is around. Trust me. I should be able to locate him if he is close, " She assured him.

" We must remain close to someone else, " She suddenly ordered. " Being alone will most likely lead to injury and danger. We can be stronger in pairs. Drake, you're with Grayson, as Armen is still to injured to fight. " " And you'll be with...? " Drake questioned. " I have Zayliee. She is the only backup I will need. " She out her back to him. " Now, be careful, and if there is any danger to you three, you know how to get a hold of me. " The wolf and master began to walk away in the opposite direction of the boys.

She sighed and patted her head. " Keep your senses alert, Zay. " She murmured. Zayliee whined and tilted her head back, nuzzling her hand. She chuckled and tightened her hand on her sword handle, raising her eyes to the landscape. Thankfully, just in time to see the ball of fire rushing at her face. She shrieked and threw up a shield, the fireball merging into the barrier. She opened one eyes- When had she ever closed them?- to see a man floating before her, almost an exact look alike of her. " Father. " She spat at Herobrine. He smiled mockingly at his daughter. " Hello, Amethyst. " Her lips curled back, showing her teeth. Zayliee copied her. The Nether God's grin widened as footsteps crunched behind her, and she took notice of Grayson, Drake, and Armen with her. " Nice of you three to show up. " She huffed.

He let out an agitated sigh. " Alright then. Enough chatting. " He pulled his hands back before thrusting them forward at the four. Amethyst threw her hands upwards as the boys jumped back, her shield expanding to cover all of them. She let it fall and straightened. " Pathetic, Father. I expected more from you. "

" Oh, Amethyst, " he sighed. " I'm only just getting started. " Her eyes widened momentarily before yelling, " Scatter! " The small group broke apart, each one diving in a different direction as the ground where they once stood exploded.

Amethyst landed in a crouch, Zayliee pressed to the ground at her side. She looked down at the diamond sword she was still clutching and sighed. " I didn't wish for this to come to this... " she sent a glare at her father. " But you leave me with no more choice! "

Her sword began to shift and change. The handle morphed from diamond and wood to quartz, while the blade went to obsidian. The middle of the handle hollowed out, being replaced with glass which filled up with lava. The air around them seemed to be drained of everything; of smoke, heat, flames, everything. She stood once more, and everything around her returned to normal. She held back the coughs burning her throat. " I despise using my Netherborn sword, but in moments like this, it is necessary. " She held the gaze of her father, who's jaw hung open. HE recovered, and growled. " No matter. That won't change anything. " He rolled his eyes, then snorted. " Though I am surprised you're using your uncle's ' gift '. "

She ignored him, her only actions being giving Grayson a side glance as he joined her at her side, starting at Amethyst. " Wha...What happened to your sword? " " I will explain later, Grayson. " She grabbed his arm and threw them both to the ground, dodging an attack from her father. " For now, focus on ending this fight before it gets any worse. "

Without waiting for an answer, she jumped up and shot forward, ducking under another fireball sent her way. Grayson stayed still, blinking a few times in confusion, before yelping as the ground beneath him exploded, throwing him backwards into the snow. He groaned. Someone grabbed his arm, pulling him back to his feet. He looked over to see Drake, smirking. " Having fun? "

" Shut up. "

He snorted, then ran after the demigodess, who was already back to fighting, ducking and dodging the attacks, unable to yet get close enough. Drake held his sword sideways, deflecting the ones now aimed at him as well. Grayson briefly rolled his eyes before running over, joining their assault.

Amethyst cocked her head to the side, seeing one was missing. " Armen? " " Somewhere safe. " Was Drake's rather blunt reply. She huffed, rolling her eyes, sharing a look with Zayliee at her side. The reunited crew was quickly split up once more. The ground was covered in holes, fire, and the air was clogged with snow and smoke. Drake and Grayson were coughing and hacking, unable to breath. Amethyst wasn't faring much better. She hadn't been able to get close to her father yet. She blinked, eyes watery from the smoggy air. How could she get close to him?

The gears began to turn in her mind. His telekinesis. She knew in the battle between him and Uncle that he had taken the advantage over her father when he began throwing blocks from the ground at him. He had jumped across them to reach Herobrine when he couldn't find another way. If she could irritate him enough to switch attacks, she could get close, knock him down, and help the boys run for it. The base was unusable now; she'd expected that.

Quickly moving away from the others, she shouted at Zayliee to join Armen, wherever he was. She wasn't safe now. The white wolf whined, but bolted anyways, off into the smoke. Amethyst watched her go, before facing Herobrine again. " Father! Let us settle this between you and I. Leave Grayson and Drake out of this. " " And just why should I do that, Amethyst? " He rolled his eyes. She quickly mouthed at the boys to run, and, though confused, they listened.

" Because I am now your only opponent. " She smirked at his confusion, until his anger flared. " You little- " " Ah ah, Father. Mother would be so ashamed of your language, you know. " " Let her be. I care nothing about about Rowan. "

Amethyst held her tongue against that remark. She hated when he tried to downgrade her mother, who would always be ten times the man he was, and she was a female, which was rather sad.

Instead, she threw herself towards him, fire blazing. Father and daughter clashed, lost in the burning wall they seemed to have formed, neither giving the other a chance to gain the upper hand. It was almost impossible to win unless luck, or the gods, were on your side. Amethyst silently prayed their favor would fall on her.

Falling back trying to dodge one of his many attacks, she caught sight of his face. He was very agitated. Good. It was beginning to work, it seemed.

Around her, blocks began to lift towards her father. " You are trying my patience, child. " " Good, " she responded, voice void of emotion. More began to rise around them. " I am sorry, my child. " he murmured softly. " But they must be disposed of. You do not. " The blocks stilled. " We will return home once I have finished here. " She didn't move, didn't flinch at his words or at the chunks now flying towards her, Herobrine failed to see her smirk. This was what she wanted. She was prepared for this.

The brunette threw herself forward, blue boots hitting the snowy surface. She moved quick, too quick for her father, who realized too late her plan, and was unable to stop his power is time; just as he had when fighting Notch all those centuries ago.

She reached him in the air and lunged, swinging her sword hilt at his face. She wasn't about to stab the only parent she had left. The forceful blow to his head was enough to render the god unconscious. He fell, along with his daughter, to the snow below. He landed with a dull thud, while Amethyst hit the ground painfully on her leg, crying out. She knew it was most likely broken; she was up high enough, and she had felt and heard something crack when she'd met the snow. That wouldn't be good for either her or the boys. He wouldn't be out long, and they'd have to escape quickly. That seemed close to impossible now with her injury.

Pulling herself to her feet, she began limping away, crying and moaning with every step she took. Dear Notch, it hurts terribly, she thought, gasping sharply. But she pushed through the agony. The boys, and Zayliee, were more important at the moment.

She eventually made it to the little room near the base, under the hills and smoke free. She stumbled in, inhaling clear air as if she never would again, before coughing into her black sleeve. Ignoring the confused expressions and questions, she raised her arms, mumbling under her breath. The walls and door opening briefly glowed orange. She breathed out a sigh of relief before collapsing, the pain in her leg too intense to remain upright any longer.

Arms circled her, leading her gently to the floor. Above her was the worried face of Armen. " 'Thyst, what happened to you? " He asked her quietly, putting a hand on her arm. " Used a move Uncle used on Father during their battle...I cannot fly as they can, so I fell, landed on my ankle wrong...I believe it is broken... "

Grayson joined them on the ground. " Let me look at it. " He told her. She nodded. " Go ahead, Grayson, " " Which leg is it, Amethyst? " " My right. " He nodded and pulled off her right boot and sock, frowning at the sight of her ankle. No wonder she was in so much pain. It was badly twisted, with bone almost breaking through her skin, which was badly swollen. He felt himself wincing, sympathy flowing through him for the younger.

He lifted her leg, trying to move her into a more comfortable position, which only succeeded in her shrieking and her nails almost breaking through the skin of Armen's arm, which she had grabbed onto. He quickly began to shush her, noticing the flinches from Drake, Armen, and Zayliee from her voice volume.

" Stay quiet, 'Thyst, " he whispered, stroking her hair soothingly. He looks back at the others. " I doubt she'll be able to walk for a while now. " " I-I have a healing potion in my bag- " Grayson made to grab it. " Stop! I cannot use it now. It can take up to 30 minutes minimum to begin to work. We cannot remain here any longer. "

" Well then, what do you expect us to do? " Grayson glared at her. He cared about her, he really did, but she was beginning to irritate him. She should be focusing on her own health, not on how they'd get out of this mess. That was their job, not hers.

" Drake can carry me. You must be able to guard us and keep watch. I can still assist; but I will need to know when, Grayson. From you. " He sighed softly. " Alright. Just...just be careful, ok? " She chuckled. " When am I never not? " She joked. Grayson resumed glaring at her.

Fir brushed against her fingertips as a wet twinge began licking at her face and jaw. She curled her hands into the soft white pelt that seemed so unique to Zayliee, burying her face into it, laughing. " Hello, Zayliee, " she cooed, Zayliee's yapping and barking almost drowning out her voice.

" We need to be leaving, my friends. " Her face lost emotion. " My father is beginning to wake; I can feel it. " " Alright, Princess, " Drake knelt in front of her, helping her climb onto his back. " Let's get moving, then. "

The small ground quickly began abandoned the room, deciding to go the opposite way of the smoke. " Easier to breath, clearer, and farther away from Him, " Grayson had said. Zayliee trotted on ahead, at the front of the group, occasionally glancing back to make sure they were all following. Grayson was behind her, scanning around to keep watch. Armen remained by Drake and Amethyst, not being able to move very fast yet, and, as Amethyst was hurt, neither could Drake.

Before long, Zayliee slid to a halt on the icy ground. The others skidded behind her, trying to stop as well. A low whine began to rise in her throat, her yellow eyes staring around nervously. " What's up with her? " Armen asked quietly. " Run, " A,enthuse whispered. " Huh? " Grayson looked back at her. " RUN! " she screamed, as the ground behind them exploded. Drake and Armen staggered forward, but quickly regained their footing and broke into a sprint. Grayson was ahead of them, searching in his bag for something. Upon finding it, he swung around, firing the strange weapon towards the sky.

Amethyst screamed once more at the noise, obviously terrified by it. " Grayson! What IS that? " He looked confused. " It's...a gun,Amethyst. " " I do not know what ' guns ' are! " she rolled her eyes and flinched when he fired again. " That will not harm Father, you know. "

" What do you mean, you don't know what guns are? " Armen chimed in. " They do not exist in my world. To me, they are a whole new concept. A very loud one, at that. " More land around them broke into flames, raining dirt and snow on them. " Enough talk! Stay quiet and run as fast as you can possibly go! " Grayson ordered.

Pure terror finally set in as they desperately tried to escape the Nether God. Their eyes sting from debris and smoke. The air was hard to breath, and sight was highly limited. They didn't see Zayliee slide to a stop before them; but they did see Grayson falling right off the sudden ledge, and heard his muffled grunt of pain. The remaining trio stopped and looked down at him. " I'm OK! Just jump down! Pass 'Thyst down first. "

Drake swung the demigodess off of his back and dropped her down to Grayson. He caught her beneath her arms and held onto her as Drake jumped down. He pushed her back into his arms and turned back around to catch Armen. A thud beside him revealed Zayliee had leaped down. Armen crouched, ready to jump.

Then he was being flung towards the ground below.

They screamed as chunks flew at them, stinging their skin and eyes, getting in the mouths and noses. Grayson blindly grabbed for the youngest, managing to break his fall enough to prevent injury. " Go! " he yelled when Armen was steadied " GO! "

Everyone broke into a sprint, soon becoming lost in the smoke. " His heat is fading. He will leave us alone for now, " Amethyst called up to Grayson. " You sure? " He looked back. She nodded. " Yes. " The blonde began to slow to a jog, raising his hand to tell the others to slow as well. " Where to now? " Armen asked when he was able to walk beside Grayson. " I'm not sure, Armen, " he shrugged. " I guess wherever this path takes us. "

" I sense something up ahead, " Amethyst's voice rang out again, " Not a human heat source, or one even relative to a life force. It's almost like the pull of an opening; I received the same feeling when I fell into the portal that brought me here. " They stopped and looked at her. " Think it's safe? " " Yes. It would do us good to check it out. "

It was only a short walk to where Amethyst was pointing out. Their air cleared the farther they walked, but blurred vision might have helped the shock of what they found.

There was a portal, tucked away in a small room, simply by itself with no explanation to it being there. The minecraftians were in awe as they stared at the odd, bright colors that seemed to shift and change. " " Whoa... " Drake breathed. " Why's this here? " Grayson screwed up his face, showing off his confusion. " Either we have simply stumbled across this by chance; or the gods really are on our side. " Amethyst said. Zayliee gave a small yip of agreement with her master. Amethyst smiled and patted her head.

" Should we...see where it goes? " Grayson asked. The others looked at him, then each other. Drake shrugged. " Can't hurt to try. "

Grayson walked over stuck and stuck his arm through. He pulled it back, shuddering. " It feels...weird. Like, it should be freezing my hand, but...nothing's happening. It's cold and...warm, all at the same time. " " That is because they either open a window to a new realm or a new section of the world. They do usually give off an odd feeling, mainly because they have two different biomes, seasons, or weathers crossing, and also because you'll be moved to a new place than your current one, " Amethyst explained, almost as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

" Do we go in together, or separate? " Drake looked around again. " Together, " Grayson said. " Who knows what's on the other side. " The ender hybrid nodded. " Alright. Just tell us when. "

" Before that, " Amethyst interrupted. " Armen, could you be a dear and carry Zayliee for me? That way she will not run off when we get through. "

" Uh, sure. " The black haired boy swept the wolf into his arms, where she began licking his face. He laughed. " OK, now can we go? " Drake questioned. " Yes, Now we may. " Amethyst smiled at him.

They turned to face the portal. " OK, guys, " Grayson began. " On the count of three. One, two..." They broke into a sprint. Grayson entered a second before the others, right as he yelled, " Three! "

The blizzard carried on, oblivious to the departure of its inhibitors.

Groans filled the night air. In a stone temple leading downwards lay four bodies; three human, one animal. The tallest, a half-human, half-ender, shakily pushed himself to his feet. He reached a hand out to his shorts,r black haired friend, who gratefully took it and jumped back to his feet. The animal, now seen as a white and black wolf, was nudging the lone female of the group, who tried to push her away. " Zayliee... " she mumbled. " Go away... Please... "

Drake rolled his eyes and walked over, lifting her up by her arms. " Rise and shine, Princess. Or, not, " he looked around. " It's nighttime. "

" Thank you for that genius observation, Drake, " Amethyst muttered sarcastically. " Oh look, Miss Demigodess can be sarcastic. " Drake teased. Armen snorted before suddenly cutting off, eyes widening. " Where's Grayson at? " The other's expressions morphed into one of shock. " He-he is here, is he not? " Amethyst whispered. Drake shook his head. " I'm not sure. Grayson! "

He lifted her back onto his back as the trio began to shout for their missing member. Zayliee joined in with barking and howls, but none of their noise received an answer.

Drake sighed. " Maybe he's already went on ahead of us? " " But how would that work? We came in only a second after, if not less. " Amethyst argued. " Amethyst is right...but it can't hurt to at least try. " Armen shrugged. Zayliee began voicing her own agreement, licking the black haired boy's hand. He laughed and patted her head.

" There's a path over there, " Drake pointed out. Indeed, there was a path of stone curving through the trees and grass, looking rather old and cracked, but in a good enough condition to be used. " Think he went down that way? " Amethyst asked. " Wouldn't surprise me. Come on. " They started walking down the old path, no one speaking as they did.

Father down, Drake came to a sudden stop, which caused Armen to crash into his back. He stepped back, rubbing his nose. " Ow. Drake, what's wrong with you? Why'd you stop? "

" Look around. " His voice was filled with fear and slight disgust. Amethyst was frozen, her eyes wide in panic. Zayliee whined and nuzzled her hand, trying to get her to calm down. Armen pushed past them slightly and gasped sharply at the sight before them.

He finally had an idea of why the path looked so abandoned. It was cut off when it met badly burned up ground. The entire area before them, stretching towards the nearby creek, was charcoal black. Blood splatters and skulls scattered the area, varying in sizes. He cringed at the thought that one might belong to a child. It looked like they had been there for a while, as the blood was dried and was more of a brown color now than red.

Amethyst finally found her voice. " I...I do not wish to be here anymore. " she whispered, voice sounded choked, as if she forced it out. " Same here. Let's get moving. " Drake turned his head away from the mess and began walking, trying to keep his eyes straight ahead and not think too much about the fact taut he was walking across a murder scene.

He froze when he heard a set of footsteps disappear. He looked back to see Armen staring down a hole that he'd failed to notice. He walked over to join him, but immediately looked away. It was even worse down there. He out a hand on Armen's shoulder, leading him and Zayliee away from it. " Just do not think about it, Armen. " Amethyst said quietly. He looked up at her and cast her a small smile. She returned it.

Drake groaned when they got to the creek. " I hate water... " he muttered. " I know you do, Drake, but it will not last very long, " Amethyst looked over at the water. " It is not very fast, either, so we should be fine. " He rolled his eyes. " Still. " " Just get in and get this over with. " Zayliee had already flung herself into the water and was treading, looking over at them with wide yellow eyes. Armen grinned and jumped in after her, splashing water at the wolf. Drake slowly eased himself in, cringing at the feeling.

Amethyst wrapped her legs around his chest area as he went across to keep herself from getting too wet. Zayliee reached the other side first, shaking her fur and splashing water everywhere as she tried to dry herself off. Armen shrieked and covered his face, wiping water away from his eyes. Drake leaped back, almost falling back in as he tried to avoid the spray. Amethyst hissed as her ankle was jostled. " Careful! " she scolded him. " Sorry. "

Armen rolled his eyes at them as he began walking again, Zayliee trotting at his side. " Hey, guys? There's some sort of...base...fenced in...area thing over here. I have no idea what it is, but...its man-made. Looks abandoned. Check it out? " " Yes, " Amethyst called. " There might be something there that could lead us to Grayson. "

He moved closer, but jumped back, eyes wide. " There's someone in there! " he hissed. Drakes eyes went wide. " What? " " There's someone in here! I think they're asleep, but...still! " Amethyst frowned. " Is there anyway in? " " Yeah, there's a door- " " Then go in. " Armen's mouth fell open. " Are you serious!? "

" Yes, I am serious. Open it! " He shared a startled look with Drake, before taking a deep breath and pushing open the door. It squeaked loudly, and he helped, jumping behind one of the walls. " Armen! Don't make so much noise! " Drake hissed. " I'm sorry, but I can't help it! " He spat back. " Did he awake? " Amethyst added in. Armen looked around the wall. " Uhm...no. " " Good. Let us go in, then. " He gave her another wide eyed look but stalked inside anyways, movements slow and carefully place. The other two followed them. Zayliee bolted past them, barking. " Zayliee! " Amethyst cried when she saw she was running towards the sleeping man. " Do- wait a minute. Grayson? "

The man had woke up with Zayliee's loud barks, which now involved her licking his face, and he stared at him with wide eyes. " Amethyst? Armen? ...Drake? " Drake's face lit up. " Grayson! "

The blonde moved out from the fence covering he was behind, Zayliee jumping around him,marrying to reach his face again. " What are you guys doing here...? " He asked, eyes wide. " What are we doing here? Grayson, we just went through the portal, we were trying to figure out where you went. How did you have time to create all this in...ten or so minutes? " Drake crossed his arms. " What do you mean? Drake...its been a year. "

" A year!? " Amethyst shrieked. " Why do you sound so surprised? And why is your leg still injured? " She glared at him. " I am surprised because I just saw you not even 15 minutes ago, and I have yet to use my potion, because I just relieved my injury. "She snarled. He flinched. " Ok, no need to be rude, Amethyst. Why don't you three have a seat. Let Amethyst heal. If what you're saying if true, you must also be pretty tired. " " And hungry. " Armen added. Zayliee seemed to nod in agreement. He chuckled. " Well, I don't have a lot of food anymore, as there's next to no living things around here anymore, but I'll see what I have, ok? " he walked off back behind the fence covering

Drake helped Amethyst to sit down and slide her bag off her shoulder. Armen took a seat next to her, Zayliee flopping across both their laps. Drake sat a little ways away, not wanting to intrude on them, laughing to himself over them. They looked just like an awkward little family. Empathizes on awkward.

She removed the potion from her bag and uncorked it, tipping it back and pouring the pinkish liquid into her mouth. She swallowed and sighed. " There. Now we just need time for it to begin working. "

She leaned her head over, putting it on Armen's shoulder. He looked over at her with a shocked expression, but didn't push her away. Grayson came back out and took in the sight before him, but didn't say anything about it. He passed out food it everyone before taking a seat next to Drake. Amethyst tore some of hers off and gave it to Zayliee. Armen raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged. " She needs it more than I do. She's a carnivore, Armen, she only eats meat. I can survive on things other than it. " He chuckled. " Alright then, wolf lady. You go ahead and do your thing, I won't question it. "

Grayson leaned over and whispered in Drake's ear. " They seem to have a thing. " He chuckled. " Mmhmm. " Grayson looked up. " Hey, look! The sun's coming up! " The foursome stared up at the sky, Grayson's smile stretching across his face. The sky got lighter over time, but suddenly cut back to black. His smile fell and he sighed. " That was expected. " he muttered.

" Whys it such a big deal that the sun was coming up? " " Armen asked. " The sun hasn't risen since I got here. " Grayson shrugged. " It's just been endless nighttime. " Drake frowned. " So, you're saying that it's been permanently night for a year, and the moment we show up, the sun starts to rise? " " Exactly. "

" Grayson, why are there no living creatures around anymore? " Amethyst looked over at them, raising her head from Armen's shoulder. He would never admit it, but he missed the warmth. " ...He's...He's here. " Grayson said quietly. Amethyst inhaled sharply. " No living thing survives here... " " Is that why there were all those skulls back there? " Armen chimed in. " Yes. He kills both human and animal...I haven't seen a wolf in so long till now. Or any other living creature except for the rare animal I can hunt, or course. There's a city near here, but it's being haunted by him...I doubt there is anyone else around there anymore, but still. I don't want to risk it. "

" A city? " Amethyst's face seemed to brighten slightly. " Uhm, yeah. " " And you have yet to enter it? " Grayson frowned. " I said I never have, haven't I? I've been close, but not in it. " Amethyst chuckled. " Well then, I know where we are headed to next. "

" What!? " The boys cried. " If my father is haunting the place, there must be a reason why. He never does anything without reason. Trust me. I know him better than any of you. We think alike, we understand one another. I say it is worth checking out. "

Armen sighed. " Once more, you have a point. " Drake shrugged. " She's right. It's worth a shot. Grayson? " " Can't hurt to try. " The blonde crossed his arms as they all looked towards the demigodess. Amethyst grinned.

" Well then, what are we waiting for? "

Told you this story breaks canon. Woooooooo

Also longest chapter yet. 5164 words. JEEEZZEEE I NEED A LIFE DX

Plot. What is it.

Oh, well. I don't need it anyways XD

Keep on mining, my mineshafters!

-CaptainBat


	6. Our Haunted Home Part 1

IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE! PLEASE READ THIS, GUYS

 **FIRST TWO PARTER CHAPTER BOO YAH X3 Why not end the LoH era of GITS with one?**

 **I'm kinda on a roll right now...I'm just really excited to get the Legend of Herobrine portion done and get onto The Haunted section.**

 **Also, different POV stuff cause woo**

 **I need to explain something real quick. Three things have changed in the GITS world. One: The time Amethyst spent at the artic base was three months. Yeah, I made it pretty long, but hey; Armethyst will not be love at first sight -**

 **Second, Collin is NOT Herobrine in this. That would mean Amethyst falls in love with her uncle, and...yeah. We're not having that. Instead, he was the one first possessed by Herobrine, and, after killing his parents and almost killing Armen, he abandoned his body and went off on his own ( He used him and the diamonds to escape his brother's curse, so he had his own body to use; just temporarily used Collin's ) Collin ran from Ruby Shire, came across the oil rig about 6-7 years later, and, though Grayson recognized him, he let his stay with them anyways, believing his story that it hadn't been him who attacked his family ( though he still didn't believe Herobrine existed ) He was later killed off by Herobrine while out alone in the artic. He'll make more than one appearance in this, that's for sure, since I am KIND of in love with his GITS design right now**

 **Three, many of the things that happens don both series will NOT be happening in GITS. As it gets explained in this chapter, Amethyst's arrival changed EVERYTHING. Many things will not happen, many things will be different, and many things that didn't exist before will exist now. Destinies should not be messed with, and Amethyst apparently doesn't get that.**

 **Just had to get that explained ^^; hope it was clear enough for you guys!**

 **Not the best chapter ever, but ehh. It's ok enough, I guess**

 **Farther down the chapter does get better, as I've had time to clear my head after going out with my parents, and my focus got better afterwards.**

 **ALSO! Armen's eye color changed for a**

 **Translations and pronunciations: because i like making up my own languages :) )**

 **Andaviao ( On-dah-vee-ow): Ender word for bravery and/or courage**

 **Zavasia ( Z-uh-vase-ee-ah ): coward**

Their destinies were beginning to fall into place.

Beautiful amethyst eyes disappeared behind the young woman's dark brown lids, sighing from where she was crouched over the pool. Long, curly black and purple hair swirled around her, laying on the ground when it became too long to hang just around her anymore. She was dressed fully in armor, minus the pale grey tights she wore as pants, with her back helmet clutched between her hands. Stretching across her shoulders was a small ebony and purple dragon, clearly not older than a baby. Laying beside the woman was another young dragon, not much older than the other, with its wings stretched out, seemingly asleep.

She opened her eyes and stared down at her helmet. She knew it was impossible to alter destinies. Once they were decided and set, that was it. It didn't mean she had to approve or like her brother's decision on these mortals' destiny. She chuckled dryly. Not just the mortals, she mused, but a demigodess as well. Her brother's only child.

She felt terrible that she was being roped into this. This hadn't been part of her destiny, so how had it been altered like this? It should have been impossible to stray from her chosen path. She'd tried pleading with her brother, trying to save her, get her out of there before everything became permanent for her, but he refused. She'd already broke her previous future; she would not do the same to another.

Footsteps crunched beside her on the teal-tinted grass. She looked behind her to see a much lighter-skinned man standing behind her, dark eyes staring at her tiredly. " Hello, Brother, " she spoke softly, looking away and back into the clear pool. He moved closer and knelt beside her, not speaking. To keep him from knowing how worried she was, she slid her helmet back onto her head, pressing her bangs down. The dragon on her shoulder, sensing her fear, raised its head and nuzzled her cheek. She gave a soft smile to the dragon and patted its head.

" You are distressed, my Sister. " Her brother looked over at her. She huffed. " Yes, a Brother, I am. Is it really that obvious? " He chuckled. " As obvious as the day is, Sister. Mine telling me why? " She looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. He reached out a hand to her, resting it on her own. " There isn't anything to be ashamed of if you are, Endonia... " The ender, now revealed to be named Endonia, snapped her head around to face her brother. " I can't believe that you're putting the life of a child into danger. And not just any child. OUR NEICE! "

He pulled his hand back, surprised by her sudden outburst. It wasn't any surprise where endermen got their teethy, unhinged jawed cries. Endonia was displaying that expression perfectly, violet eyes gleaming in anger. She was barely holding back from making the same garbled gibberish her creations did. Her brother frowned. " Amethyst has had her destiny altered once before, and in doing so altered the destinies of the boys she now travels with. Changing it again will NOT be allowed, Sister. "

" You disgust me, Notch. " she spat out his name like it was poison. " At least in this one she will survive longer than she would have in her chosen one, " Notch pointed out. " Much longer than she was supposed to. "

" That is supposed to make me feel better, Brother? Heh. Don't make me laugh. You lack any sort of andaviao. If you really were trying to comfort me or make me less nervous, you'd try and fix your mistake, instead of being such a zavasia! "

" My mistake!? MY MISTAKE!? " I haven't even been around the girl since she was an infant, and even then I hardly interacted with her! How was this MY mistake? She altered her own future, not me. " Notch argued. " You could have done something! You're the mortal god! The god over everything on the surface world? Come on, Brother, don't act like you were so useless in this situation. " Endonia spat back, standing up. Notch followed her, both of them glaring each other down.

" N-Notch? " A quiet voice rose from behind them. The quarreling siblings turned around to face the owner of the voice; a young, short, and slightly stout woman, dressed in a turtleneck tucked into her pants, a jacket with its sleeves pushed into her gloves, and long pants inside her almost knee-high boots. Orange hair was pulled back away from her head, a stray strand falling down over her right eye, and the rest of it only just brushed the top of her neck. Her hands were folded awkwardly in front of her, looking slightly towards the ground. Notch put a smile on his face. " Rowan. Is everything alright? "

" Y-You're watching my child, aren't you? " Her voice remained soft. The Aether God sighed and walked over to Rowan, putting a hand on her arm. " Yes, Rowan. We are. " " H-how is she? " His heart broke slightly. Curse his younger brother for casting the mortal out. She never got to see her child again before her death after she was kicked out when she was three; that was ten years before she was killed. Being here, getting information from the Aether's god was the only way she could know how her daughter was.

" She's OK, Rowan. She had some issues with her father, but she's safe. She's with others now that can help her. She won't be alone in this. " He comforted her. She looked up at him, orange-gold eyes shining lightly. " Wo-would it be ok if I check in on her...? Myself...? " Normally, this wasn't allowed; the pool he and his sister were using was there so the other gods could keep an eye on their wayward niece, but, as she was her mother, he could make an exception. " Of course, Rowan. " He put an arm around her and led her over to the pool. Endonia sat back down and shifted over to make room for her former sister-in-law to kneel.

The young mother stared down into the water, just watching her child. As of now, they were no longer awake; it was nighttime on the over world, and she could only imagine how exhausted her daughter must be. She was slumped over, head hanging off the shoulder of the black haired boy she was leaning on, with her pet wolf, Zayliee, slumped over their laps. " How long have they been together? " She spoke up. Both gods snapped their heads towards her with wide eyes. " They, uh, they're not together, at least I don't believe they are...but they've known one another for three months. " She chuckled. " At least they've had time to get to know one another... " she murmured.

The former Nether queen slipped back into silence, observing the others with her only child. The black haired boy she had taken notice of earlier was obviously the youngest, though not much younger than Amethyst, who was 23*.She'd say they were the same age, but with her being the elder. His hair in front was long, with the back spiked up. He had a slightly darker skin tone, and, though she couldn't see them, she could already guess what his eye color was.

" His eyes are blue, aren't they? " she looked at both gods. Endonia appeared surprised. " How did you...? " " He resembles Collin**. " Rowan shrugged. " Are they related? " The End Queen cast her a small smile. " Brothers. Collin...he did everything he could to keep Armen safe after his brief possession...it obviously worked, seeing as you're watching him now. He's a great person, despite everything he blames himself for. They both are. " "Then I guess it's a good thing my daughter found him, then. " Rowan chuckled softly.

The next boy, curled on the ground by Zayliee's head, was a brunette ender hybrid, with one half of his face being black, and sporting an elf ear, as most ender hybrids do. The other half was a darker color, darker than the previous boy's. It resembled her ex-husband's in some way. Hmm. I never thought I'd see the day when an ender being works with a Nether behind...the younger mother thought. The remaining one, though, she could get a good glimpse of. He was slumped over with his back facing away from them, blocking out any sort of facial features. From what she could see, however, he was paler skinned, more like her daughter's than any of the others, with bright, honey colored hair. She guessed he was the oldest; growing up in a faction where everyone in your age group was your siblings, you could always tell which was the eldest and which was the youngest by how they always sat or slept.

While the youngest would usually sleep more relaxed and peacefully, the eldest would usually sleep more hunched, tensed, as if constantly ready to lunge if the baby of the group, or any of the younger ones, was to be hurt or threatened by anyone. The blonde currently held that position. He was stronger-looking than the rest of the foursome by what she could see. She knew they were lucky to have them on their side.

" What are their names? " She asked, wanting more information on the people who currently held her baby's life partially in their hands. " The brunette is Drake, the black-haired one is Armen, and the blonde is Grayson. " Notch answered, keeping his eyes on the Looking Pool.

They'd move on later in the night, as Endonia had to return to the End, as her young dragons could not be gone for much longer before they would begin to show signs of being ill , and Rowan preferred to go off and be around her former faction friends again instead of lurking around, watching her child sleep. But even so, Notch would return when the day finally returned, to watch as the foursome awoke and got ready to head out towards the haunted city. He felt their decision was idiotic, but knew it must happen for their destinies to be fulfilled.

As much as he didn't particularly like her, he'd still watch out for Amethyst, so he knew she would fulfill the path laid out for he once more. Because he really didn't want her to fall down the one prior.

Shoes crunching on gravel was the only sound that continuously broke the tense silence around the small band of people. Drake and Grayson had just left Armen and Amethyst alone for the fact that they woke up circled up by one another, and neither were very happy with them at the moment. They'd apologized, but they'd recited their answer to them in pure silence. Needless to say, they hadn't accepted it.

" Guys, we said we were sorry! " Drake chuckled, not sounding sorry at all. The heads of the younger two swiveled towards him, sending glares that, if possible, would burn his soul till not even ash remained. He gave an awkward grin before speeding up to walk beside Grayson.

Amethyst looked away from him and down at Zayliee, bouncing happily next to her master. She smiled. " Well, at least one of us may remain joyful, " the demigoddess murmured, scratching Zayliee behind her ears. She leaned into the touch, whining. " Amethyst laughed, her fingers feeling the worn navy collar she wore. She frowned. " I thought I got rid of that... "

She called out a halt to the others as she knelt in front of Zayliee. She undid the buckle holding the collar in place and loosened it, sliding it off over her head. The white wolf whined in relief at the released pressure on her neck. The white and black fur was pressed down and flat from how tight the object was becoming. Amethyst swore quietly as she Ruffles the fur around where the collar had been, fluffing it back up. She threw her arms around Zayliee. " I am sorry, Zayliee. That should not have been on you any longer. " she muttered, pressing her face into her fur. Zayliee gave a low whine and nuzzled her jaw. She smiled and stood back up, sliding her collar into her bag. " Sorry. I had to remove that wretched thing from her. I meant to remove it a while ago, but forgot. "

" It's ok, 'Thyst. We just need to keep...moving. " It's a relief she's even talking to us, Grayson thought, yawning. Amethyst smirked. They were all pretty tired, on,y getting around two to three hours previously. Hopefully they'd find time to get more later.

" How much farther is this city? " Armen called up to the blonde. " It's still a little ways away. We're not exactly moving the quickest, anyways. " He called back, not glancing back at them. Armen huffed and rolled his eyes. Amethyst laughed and leaned over to him, slightly laying on his shoulder. He have her a lazy grin and threw an arm around her shoulder.

Drake looked back and raised an eyebrow. " OK, I know I said I'd knock it off, but...are you two a thing or not? Right now, we're both getting major mixed feelings. " The duo looked at one another and shrugged. Drake sighed and faced forward again, choosing to talk quietly with Grayson about the odd plants around here. Only they'd focus on the foliage of the area while heading off to possibly get into another battle with the most deadly being in all the dimensions of Minecraftians. Because that's what most normal people did, right? She scoffed. Of course it was.

Amethyst put her head on Armen's shoulder. We're ey something more than friends? It sure seemed like it. COULD they ever be more than friends? Gods falling for mortals never was good, but, then again, they could only love mortals...and she wasn't a god. She had mortal blood..it wouldn't be ALL that bad, would it? Zayliee, seeming to sense her change in emotions, licked between her fingers, making her laugh. " Zayliee, stop, " she chuckled, pulling her hands up. Zayliee yipped and jumped ahead of them, crouched down slightly, tail wagging. Amethyst grinned and pulled away from Armen, moving towards her. The wolf began backing up, still crouched down as the brunette advanced on her. She spin around on her paws and shot forward, running past Grayson and Drake. Amethyst took off after her. " Zayliee! " she cried, giggling. " Come back! "

The boys started after them, grinning. " Should we go after them...? " Drake looked over at the others. " Would be better. Keep either of them from falling and getting hurt. She just got healed. " Drake snorted. " Yeah. And I'd prefer not to have to carry her again. I don't know if my back can take it. " He joked. The other two boys chuckled before running off after the wolf and master.

Breaking from the trees, they barley slid to a stop to avoid running into the Frozen demigoddess and wolf. Grayson took a few steps back to avoid running into his friend. " Is this the city...? " Amethyst murmured softly.

Stretching in front of them was an old, broken bridge, broken in the middle and laying in pieces on the ground. Beyond that was the worn-looking city. The walls were overgrown with plants and trees, with holes in the stone brick walls. Buildings could be seen through the mountain hollow close to the minecraftians, shadowed by the overhanging and curving to the other side, hidden from view. " Nature has definitely taken control over this city. " Grayson frowned. Amethyst nodded. " I can tell... " She crossed her arms. They began walking again, towards the open hollow. " You may have seen this on your way in. " He told them. " Looks familiar. Saw something like it, didn't look anymore into it when I did, was more focused on finding you. " Drake called back up to him. " Well, since it is here, why not give it a look? " Amethyst looked over at the blonde. " Isn't that where we're headed? " Armen asked. " Yeah, we are. " Grayson stated.

Zayliee ran on ahead again, paws flying. She splashed through the small puddles left from the water running down the side of the hills, sending water flying. Amethyst took off after her again, the boys not very far behind. " Zayliee! Stop! Wait for us! " Amethyst yelled. The wolf gave a few whines, but trotted obediently back to her master. She stroked her fur gently. The beast gave a low noise in her throat, bending her head back and pressing her wet nose into her palm. She pulled her hand back, wiping in him her shorts, chuckling. She looked up, seeing the boys already moving into the house hidden inside the hollowed out hill. " Come on, Zay. We need to keep up with them so we don't get lost. " They walked forward towards the house, hearing the boys talking quietly upstairs.

Grayson jumped down off the ladder, stepping outside, his eyes widening when he took notice of the sky. " Look. " He said quietly. " What? " She asked. " The sun. It's rising. " He leaned back inside, shouting out to Drake and Armen. " Guys! The sun is rising! "

Her lips curled back, revealing her white teeth. " I have not see a sunrise in ages... " her voice was soft. Grayson looked at her. " How long has it been for you? " " Technically three months, but, since time is apparently different, it has been a year and three months. I never saw it back in the artic, obviously, and it was nighttime when I was pushed into the portal, I could not see it before them. I could not even know what they looked like until I was 15, as the Nether lacks sunsets as well. " Her smile fell, and her face took on a more grave expression. " My mother...she has always loved them. She used to tell me about them back home. That is why finally escaped to the overworld I could hardly bear to see them. She was not around to enjoy them with me...so should I be? "

" So, I'm assuming they mean a lot of you? " Armen came up behind her and rested her arm on her right shoulder. " Yes. More than you would realize. " She let them fall back into silence as the watched the sun rise over the mountains, washing them in a warm yellow glow.

" You know what? " Drake spoke up. " I've been thinking...how do plants even grow here? If the sun hasn't risen in over a year, why hasn't everything stopped growing or died? " Grayson shrugged. " I have no idea, to be honest. " " This dimension is odd enough, Drake, without you adding onto the 100 questions we already have. " Amethyst glared at him, though not with the usual fire she usually used.

" OK, enough about the plants. Let's get moving. We need to figure out what He is trying to protect here, and why he stays here. " Grayson turned around and began walking off from the small, broken down home. Amethyst started off after him, walking in pace with Drake and Armen. " What did you find in that home? " She questioned softly. The boys looked at each other then straight ahead, not answering her. She huffed. " Fine, you two. Be that way, I guess. " she muttered angrily.

" Hold up a second. " Grayson called, sliding his bag off of his shoulder and kneeling, opening it up. Amethyst sighed and crossed her arms, tapping her foot. Her eyes widened and she stumbled forward as she felt water running down the back of her legs and heard a loud splash. She glared over her shoulder to see Drake had jumped into one of the puddles, he and Armen, who was also wet, laughing. _What is so exciting over jumping into puddles? They just mean that you will get colder as the day goes on_...Amethyst thought dryly. Armen ran ahead of her and flung himself into a large pool of water, sending out a larger wave of liquid towards the demigoddess. She shrieked and threw up her hands, trying to deflect some of it. Zayliee started yapping and jumping up towards the water, letting it hit her.

" Thank you, Armen. Now she is all hyper, and it takes forever to get her to- AUGH! " She shrieked as Armen grabbed her arm and pulled her down into the water with him. She stumbled, knocking into him when she fell, sending them both crashing down into the water, sending water flying in all directions, splashing Zayliee and barely missing Grayson and Drake, who was back on the shore. Amethyst surfaced alongside Armen, eyes narrowed to slits and burning with a fiery glow. " Armen! What the nether is wrong with yo- " She shut up when she saw him laughing, holding his sides, barley any noise coming out. His hair and clothes clung to his face and body, water running off of him. He was grinning widely, the corners of his mouth stretching.

Amethyst's scowling face fell, looking surprised for a few seconds, before she brightened, chuckling. " I still hate you, you know, " She joked, wading over to the ground and hauling herself out. She shook her head and body, sending water flying around her. Grayson leapt back with a yelp. " Don't get me wet! " He cried. " Then do not stand so close to me! " She retorted, stepping to the side to let Armen climb out. " Ok, lovebirds, let's get moving. Don't want it going dark on us. " Drake smirked, not fazed by their heated looks they suddenly changed to. The foursome started walking again, Amethyst keeping a hand on Zayliee's head to keep her close to her, knowing that, as she was still rather hyped up right now, she might run off and get lost if she didn't.

" What's that over there? " Armen pointed to an opening in the side of the hills, surrounded by a wooden border. " Coal mines. " Grayson stepped away from the group, headed towards them. Drake followed him. Amethyst gave a sharp gasp,maher eyes lighting up. " You seem happy to see a mine. " Armen out his hands in his hips. " My mother was born and raised a miner, Armen. Obviously I would gain some of that love. " She retorted. He jabbed her tongue out at him as Drake came to join them, the trio turning to face the small shed area behind them.

She opened her mouth to send a snarky comment back towards him, when her eyes lit up with a sharp, brief glow. At the same moment, Grayson shouted behind them, stumbling back away from the coal mine. Zayliee started growling loudly towards the mines, yellow eyes in slits. " It's him. He's here. " Grayson gasped, eyes wide.

" What? Where? " " In the mines. " Drake and Armen broke away from Amethyst and ran over to the mines. Zayliee sprinted back to her master, huddling around her legs in a protective manner, snarling. " Grayson, there's nothing here...are you sure you're not just going crazy? A year alone can't be doing much good for someone... " Drake called. " No, I saw him. He was definitely there. " Grayson argued, frowning. " Well, if he was, he isn't now. " They stepped out of the mines. " He was. My eyes; they began glowing. And Zayliee's reaction; she tried to move back to protect me. She hardly does that anymore, unless there is any threats to me. As of now, she is viewing him as a major threat to my life. He was here. But now he is not at the current moment. "

" ...Let's just keep moving. You need any tools? " Drake shook his head. " We're good. Let's get going. " They set off again, trying to shake off the skin-crawling feeling they were currently getting.

" Is this bridge really safe...? " Amethyst murmured as they stepped up to the terribly worn, crumbling stone brick bridge. " Been holding up all these years. It's not really that unstable until farther up anyways. You'll be fine. " Grayson assured her. " I thought you told us that you have never been here before... " Amethyst raised an eyebrow. " I haven't gotten into the city yet. I've been around here on the bridge, but just haven't went in yet. " " Do you even know how to get in? " " Of course, Amethyst. " Grayson sounded slightly annoyed. " I am sorry, Grayson, but I just want to make sure we shall get across safely, and get inside safely. " She apologized. " It's fine. I get that you're worried. I'm not much better. But have a little faith in me? " She snickered. " Never in a million years, my friend. "

" Hey, look. Up ahead. There's some sort of building. " Armen pointed towards it. " Nice observation, Armen. " Amethyst held a slight bit of sarcasm in her tone. " Juat making sure you saw it, Princess. Don't want you running into any walls and running your pretty face, would you? " She cast him a heated look, which he returned with a sly grin. " Hush, mortal. " She muttered. " Impossible. Sorry! " He teased.

" It's started to get dark again. " Drake interrupted. The duo quit arguing to look over towards the sky, where the sun was beginning to dip down beneath the hills once more. The sky was glowing a brilliant yellow-orange, with the top of the sky beginning to fade into deep blues and purple. Stars began to gleam in the higher areas of the sky, though there were not very many at the time. Grayson sighed. " Of course it is... " He muttered. " Even if it may not be very good that it is going dark once more, you have to admit...The sky is quite beautiful right now. Wish I could have a picture of it. " Amethyst smiled fondly. " First sunrise and first sunset in a year and three months of definitely something I would love to keep a memory of. " She called over her shoulder as she stepped inside the building.

By the looks of it, she guessed it was once a school. Desks were lined up in two neat rows, the one closer to the door lacking a desk. Up front was a small oak table in front of what she guessed were spruce bookshelves. A map hung from one wall, showcasing the bridge they were currently standing on and stretching back to the small home tucked away in the hollow. It looked old and outdated, as both bridges were still whole, and nothing looked overgrown and overtaken by nature.

She was gently pushed to the side to make room for Armen and Drake, who stepped past her and headed towards the back of the building, where there always another room lacking a door. Zayliee took up the space they made, tail wagging as she stared up at her master. She sighed and pet one of her ears. " Is it cold for anyone else, or is that just me? " She called out. " Don't worry, I'm the same way. " Armen's muffled voice met her ears. She huffed and rolled her eyes. " Of course you are. Thank you for dragging me into the puddle, by the way. " She snarked. " Anytime, 'Thyst. " His voice kept a light tone to it, obviously trying to get her riled up.

Drake walked out of the room, heading toward Grayson, who was examining something behind Amethyst. He suddenly stopped and backpedaled, looking outside the hole in the wall. " Did that fire just light? "

Amethyst moved over to stand beside him. " ...It was not before... " she murmured. Grayson looked over out the door. " That's...not creepy in the slightest. " he muttered, green eyes darkening slightly. " Let's...just ignore that. " The blonde turned to face Drake. " There anything in that room? " " Not that I could see. " He shrugged and turned around, walking back towards the the room. " It's empty! " Armen shouted. " Except for a hole in the ceiling. " Drake added. As he was walking out. Armen chimed in with " I can't reach it, " before leaving the room as well.

His teal eyes widened slightly. " Look at the candles. They're still lit. Shouldn't they have went out by now? " Amethyst looked at him. " Armen...is correct. Even though fire can burn eternally, as it does back in the nether, the candles should have burned down by this point in time. " Her face scrunched up in confusion. Grayson cringed slightly. " OK, let's...go. This is getting way to weird for me. " Drake nodded. " Same. We need to get into the city anyways. It can't be safe being out here after dark. "

The foursome stepped out of the believed school and began back down the bridge. Farther down, when they came across an area where the two bridge halves were connected by wood, Amethyst shot out a hand to hold Zayliee back. " Do not rush across, darling. " She murmured. " I do not want it breaking and letting you fall. " Zayliee nuzzled her hand to calm her down. She sighed and Ruffles the fur on her neck, moving her hand away to let the wolf cross. Her paws moved across the slightly rotted wood tentatively, whining at the slight creak. Once she reached the other side she flung herself off, crouching behind Grayson's legs. He gave her a sympathetic look and patted her head. " It's ok, Zayliee. There's not need to freak out. " He gave her a small smile. She quit whimpering but remained around his feet as Amethyst walked across, arms stretched out to keep her balance.

They turned around. " Hold on a second. " Grayson stepped over Zayliee and walked over to the side of the bridge. He made a leap for the vines stretching over the side, but missed and went crashing to the ground below. The remains trio rushed over to the edge of the bridge, staring down at the blonde, who was groaning. " I'm ok! " He called out, grunting as he pushed himself back up onto his feet. " Good job, Grayson! " Armen yelled. Drake laughed. " Nice. " " Once more, Grayson, you have proven to me just how brilliant you truly are. " Amethyst added.

The eldest grabbed onto the vines hanging down and pulled himself up, crawling through the hole they hung over. He disappeared from sigh. A few moments later

They stepped inside, Amethyst sighing in relief at the fact taut she was finally hidden slightly from the chill of the night air. Zayliee had taken to curling around her, rubbing her face on her leg to try and warm her up slightly. The boys had moved on, opening the door to the adjoined room and looking around in there. She head Drake's muffled voice say, " That guy wasn't having a good day.. " and she chuckled. " They are quite stupid, are they not, Zayliee? " She asked the wolf. The white beast only gave a small grunt as an answer, staring up at the demigodess with wide yellow eyes. She laughed again and kneeled down, rubbing the fur of her muzzle and touching her nose to the wolf's.

" Aww, poor Armen. Amethyst replaced him already? " She heard Drake's teasing from behind her. She rolled her eyes playfully and looked over her shoulder. " Yes, I have, my friend. Zayliee here makes such a better partner. " He joined in on her laughter as she stood up. " Find anything? " She asked. " Nothing of use. " She peeked sound him, and her eyes widened when she saw what was on the shelves. " Potions! "

She pushed past the boys and bolted into the room, face bright with excitement. She usually carried a lot of potions with her, and was beginning to run low.

She picked the one closest to her up and examined if, the shine of it reflecting in her eyes. " Regeneration. " She mumbled, the fond smile returning to her face. She laid her bag off of her shoulder and let it fall gently to the ground. She snapped open the clasps and slid the potion inside, nestling it in beside the remaining three she had. She moved on to check the others. " Splash potion of strength, one more regeneration...nothing of use my arse... " she placed them in beside the others, raising her total to six. " Not that much, but six is better than none at all... " She spoke quietly to herself, hooking her clasps back together again and standing, slipping her bag back on over her shoulders. She saw a hole in the ground a few feet away. She walked over to it, peering down and instantly cringing away in disgust. " Uhgh...Drake was correct. That poor fellow was not having a nice day in the slightest. "

Suddenly, Grayson shrieked, " OH GOD! " from the other room. Startled, Amethsyt stumbled forward, slipping over the side of the hole. She managed to get a grip on the side of the hole, nails dragging on the stone. She heard the boys getting onto Grayson over his overreaction, as he believed that he'd seen Herobrine again, and deciding that their scolding could wait, shrieked, " Help! "

The voices went quiet until footsteps rushed into the room. Armen shouted, " Amethyst! " and bolted over, grabbing her arms and pulling her out of the hole, holding her to his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, eyes wide. " Oh God, 'Thyst. Are you OK. Please tell me you're ok. " He murmured softly. " I-I am find. Just...Just startled. " He sighed and stood up, steadying her. Grayson and Drake rushed in as well, obviously not having known quite what was happening until Armen was already in thee and saving here. " She's fine, " Armen called. " Good. " Zayliee brushed past them and moved close to Amethyst, whining and standing up, using her body to balance. She licked her cheek, tail wagging. She moved her gaze to the wolf, moving her head to press it to her nose. " Thank you, Zayliee. "

" So, now that Amethyst is ok, and you've decided that I'm insane, can we get headed into the city? " Grayson asked. " Actually, I...I was wondering if we could possibly stop for the night. We are all tired, and being tired will only cause more falls like mine, and they may not have as much of a happy ending. And, if he is haunting this city, we will need all the energy we can get. " Amethyst spoke softly, looking down towards the floor.

The boys shared a look, before looking back at her. " You can out up one of your shields, right? " Drake asked. She nodded. " Yes. I can. " The ender hybrid sighed. " Then it can't hurt. She's right. We will need sleep if we have any chance of defeating Him. "

" So, we're stopping? " Armen questioned. " Yeah. C'mon. We need to look for a place to sleep. " Drake turned and began walking away.

The home had been found, a protective spell had been put up, and, after a argument over how would sleep where, it was decided that Amethyst and Armen would get a room downstairs, Drake would get the one on the other side of the stairwell, and Grayson would get one of the ones upstairs with Zayliee, though, while missing some of its wall, offered the same amount of protection that the ones downstairs did. Zayliee was simply there to warn him in case danger got too close.

Amethyst currently lay awake, unable to sleep, too many questions swirling in her mind. Why was Father haunting this city? Why was here even here? Was this really smart? What about her and Armen? Were they a thing? Were they not? If they were something, would they ever go beyond just a crush?

She felt the bed move beside her and Armen's soft voice met her ears. " Everything ok, 'Thyst? " She sighed, looking over her shoulder at him. " No, not really. " He sighed and pushed himself up to a sitting position. " Talk to me, Princess. "

" ...How do I even begin to explain... " she whispered. She remained quiet for a few moments before blurting out, " Are we...are we something, Armen? Something...something more that simply...friends? " His eyes widened. " You're asking...why? " " All of Drakes teasing, it...it has me thinking, " she looked away. " Are we something? Could...could we ever be something? I...I am just having so many doubts right now, and... "

Armen interrupted her. " Does this help your doubts? " She turned to face him, to question his words, but never got the chance. The next moment, his lips were on hers, only lasting for a few seconds before he pulled away. Amethyst's eyes were wide in shock, until a sly grin broke out on her face and she threw her arms around the boy's neck, pressing her mouth back to his. His arms came around her waist, pulling her closer. This kiss lasted longer than the previous one did, both pulling back when the need for air became too much. She pulled away and rested her head on his, both smiling. " Yes, Armen. That does greatly help my doubts. " She then moved down to kiss him again, pushing him back slightly, the smile never falling from her face.

 _This wasn't the city. Far from it. Instead, it was the field beside the lake back home, back with the Army. A golden sun shone brightly in the sky, reflecting off the glassy surface of the massive body of water. Sugarcane grew along one side, cattails growing close to where she was currently standing. Her fingertips brushed against the smooth surface of a carmine colored flower growing up close to her fingertips. She moved forward, falling to her knees by the water._

 _She dipped her hand into the liquid, letting it swirl around her calloused hands, caused by years of intensive training with weapons of all kinds; but mainly from the handle of a sword. Everything was quiet, peaceful, perfect. The life she'd never felt._

 _Something wasn't right._

 _She stilled, and flung herself around,dropping to the ground before lunging, tackling the figure behind her to the soft grass below. She slid her hand around his neck, the other pulled back and alight. " Why, Uncle. " she spat. " Why have Aunt create this dream world for me? Why are you seeking me out? "_

 _" Get off of me, Amethyst, and I'll tell you. " The man spat, sending the younger a fiery glare. She huffed and flung herself off of him, doing a back handspring before landing._

 _" Amethyst, calm yourself. " A new voice rose from the woods. She raised her head to see another figure approach; this one much taller, taller than any of the enderman. Curly black and purple hair floated around her body, the top being pressed down by her ebony helmet. Her violet eyes shone brightly in the midday sunlight. It was her aunt, and her favorite of her brother's siblings, Queen Endonia. She walked over lightly and pulled the other being to his feet, who brushed himself off and continued to glare at Amethyst. Her idiotic uncle, Notch._

 _" As I was saying, we needed to bring you here to give you a warning. " Notch began. Amethyst cocked her head to the side. " A warning? " " Amethyst... " Endonia stepped closer. " You cannot remain with the mortals. " Her eyes widened. " Wh-what? " she stuttered out. " Wh-why not? "_

 _" Their destinies have been altered too much, Amethyst. You remaining will only change that even more. They have to follow what is left of it. I will not stand for you altering it any more! " Notch spat. " You and your destinies! You refuse to believe that they can change! Well, they can, and they have! MINE has changed! Why can theirs not? "_

 _" It just cant! " Notch roared. " Accept that, child! " " Notch! " Endonia yelled. " Leave the poor girl alone! " To Amethyst, she said, " Amethyst, please, you have to let them go, let them follow their future...You remaining will only bring more harm. "_

 _" I...I can't, Aunt. I have to stay with them, without me they cannot stop him! " " Yes they can, Amethyst. In their planned out destinies, they are saved, He IS stopped; but not by you. Please, let them fulfill that. " Endonia pleaded._

 _" Can...can I think it through? " She murmured. " You have till tomorrow at nightfall. Choose wisely, child. One wrong move could lead to a downfall. " Notch growled. " Continue on in this sleep, in this happy place. Just know that when you wake up, you'll be back to everything the world has thrown at you. We will NOT be there to help you. "_

 _Amethyst blinked when she realized that her aunt and uncle were gone. She sighed. Great. The high she had received earlier was just coming crashing down once more._

 _Of course it was. Because she was Amethyst Brine. Nothing ever went right with her._

 _In the next room over, another dream was being had; this one not much different than the prior._

 _He was back home, in Ruby Shire. Nothing had changed from when he'd last seen it, when he'd falling into the void in Armen's old home. There was still that light about it, despite the horrors the city had seen. The fountain in the center still flowed and sparkled, right before the City Hall and the two local schools. The grave streets were still pressed down from years of footsteps pressing down on it, having to be replaced ever few years to keep it from sinking into the ground and disappearing._

 _He had so many memories on this street. Playing with Armen when they were only kids in the fountain, having to have the younger's older brother, Collin, pull them out before they got yelled at. Running down the street after Armen came to their family with Grayson, barely dodging shrieking pedestrians who had to jump out of the way of the boys before they were knocked over by them. Many others that came to mind that made a smile stretch on his face. His home._

 _He paused at the sound of gravel crunching behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see another figure behind him. A young woman, with ginger hair pulled away from her face into a ponytail, dressed in what looked like miners gear. Two faded scars stretched on her left cheek, pulling when she smiled. " Hello. "_

 _His eyes widened. " Uhm, hi, " he said. " Who are you might I ask? " Her smile never faltered. " My name is Rowan. I am a being of the Aether, and have been sent here by Notch to warn you. " He raised an eyebrow. " Warn me? Warn me about what? "_

 _She sighed. " To warn you about the future. " " The...The future? " She crossed her arms. " Yes, the future, child. I cannot give much away, but here's what I can; your futures have not been decided. There is a multitude of ways it could go. But there is one thing that rings true through it all; One of you has been chosen. " She took a deep breath. " One...one of you will suffer, and the others will feel great pain. I can't share any other information with you; I'm only allowed to say what I've been permitted to. If I could say more, trust me, I would, but I'm not allowed. "_

 _" Wait...what? That doesn't make sense...are you SURE you can't tell me anything else? " she nodded. " Certain. I'm sorry, Drake. " " How do you know my name? I never told you it! " She didn't answer, only turned away. For the first time, he took a good look at her eyes. " Wait a second...your eyes! Th- You're Amethyst's mom! "_

 _Rowan looked over her shoulder, but didn't speak, only smiled. He stood and watched as she walked away, soon fading away into the dream as if she had never been there in the first place, leaving him stand there staring after where she once was._

 _He only hoped her words weren't as bad as they sounded._

 **Heeeey first split chapter done so yeeeeh**

 **The warning they ended up with in the book of prophecies was given first here by Rowan, as you can tell. I had to add it in to having her telling it since Rowan is awesome and would definitely be Notch's messenger.**

 **Armethyst is now canon. It is so canon, and you cannot de y the canoness**

 **Use your imagination to imagine what went on before the cut XD**

 **I'm having too much fun with this**

 **Also I can't word cause I'm CaptainBat and words suck.**

 **Anyways it's 11:24, I'm tired, I'm off to sleep soon ( AKA in an hour or so ) so yeah**

 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters!**

 **-CaptainBat**


	7. Our Haunted Home Part 2

**The image is of what Rowan's locket looked like. Isn't it gorgeous? :)**

 **Quick shoutout to** **Foxstar354emma** **cause she be my bestie and if she can have almost 7 chapters out for her own story in like three months or less I can get a new chapter out before March ends**  
 **Cheer me on my children**

 **Last part of the Legend Of Herobrine era! From here on out, it will NOT be as light-hearted as it has been. That's not my writing style. I'm more of a 150 people-dying-in-one-chapter-and-the-apocalypse-is-starting-and-the-most-violent-stuff-on-earth-ever-happens type of person instead of all sweet, cheery stuff. Pretty ready to leave some of that behind.**  
 **Hopefully this one will be shorter ( the previous chapter was over 8000 words... ) as I don't think my arms can take it XD**  
 **ALSO! GITS is getting a one shot book! Mainly because there are a lot of side stories I want to do ( especially with another demigod of mine ( note how I said demigod. Mmhmm. Notch's son is taking over my life ATM XD )**  
 **Another is based around Luke, his daughter in GITS, and his wife...WARNING: feels n death**  
 **There will also be one out with Collin's story in GITS, you'll get a few others with random plots, yada yada whatever lots of stuff XD**  
 **Being extra careful this chapter with spelling and such, as the last one had multiple typos, and I even forgot to finish the other half of a paragraph ( all mistakes caught have been fixed, please inform me if you find any more )**

 **I MAKE TOO MANY MESSAGES WOOOO**  
 **So, I've recently posted another art book, focused around art that's non GITS related, especially focused around my Ninjago fanart, which I've recently become a fan of again. I do highly suggest you check it out, as it's something I'm putting a lot of work into ^_^**  
 **Also why do I feel that Amethyst and Lloyd would be good friends? They've got kinda similar lives...evil fathers, screwed up ( kinda ) destinies, basically their world's Jesus, (jerk) amazing older ' brothers ' ( though Armen is younger ) who (suckattheirjobs) are amazing at what they do, so on and so forth**  
 **...**  
 **Thats it. One day that will be drawn ( if it's not when I post this )**

Armen awoke to the sunlight filtering in through the windows of the bedroom. He moaned tiredly and rubbed his eyes, pushing himself up to a sitting position.  
He became aware of the shadow being cast back on him and smiled. It was Amethyst, sitting with her legs crossed on the edge of the bed, the comforter draped around her golden skinned shoulders, staring outside the window to watch the sun rise into the sky, changing it from a deep indigo to a pale blue.  
The demigoddess felt arms slide around her neck, another weight resting on top of them. Her eyes slid over to look at them. " Hey, Princess, " her murmured, nuzzling her cheek. A small smile stretched on her lips. " Hello, Armen. " He kissed her cheek. " How'd you sleep? " " Just fine, thank you. Yourself? " " Great. " She chuckled. " I rather expected that, darling. "  
" Oh, did you now? " She laughed softly and nodded. " Yes. I did. " He sniggered, pulling away from her and sitting next to her on the bed. " You probably already answered this, but why do you love sunrises and sunsets so much? " Her gold and white eyes moved to face him. " Well, I have already told Grayson, but, as you are not Grayson, I do not expect you to understand. My mother had a love for them. They are one of the few things that I can have to remember her, as...I never got anything else. All her old items from her home faction had to go to the new members and to supplies, so in case they ran low there would be backups. Her locket, which was a gift from my father, and made of silver and orange garnet, had to be taken apart; the garnets were melted together and the silver was melted and put away to be put towards making new tools. Nothing of her was left behind. With sunrises and sunsets, they are the one thing that cannot be taken away from me. " He frowned and glanced away. " Jeez, 'Thyst. I'm sorry for your loss. " She shrugged. " She died ten years ago. I'm not quite as bothered anymore as I used to be. "  
" We should start getting ready. The others'll be up soon, and I'd rather them not get suspicion. " Amethyst nodded and stood up, Armen following. As they began getting ready, Amethyst spoke up again. " Armen, as I have told you about my own family...what about your own? I have not heard anything about your family. "  
He sighed and looked up towards the ceiling, staying quiet for a few moments. " I...have both my parents, and and older brother. " " What are their names, if you do not mind me asking? " " My mother was named Marilynne. My father was named Dominick. " He then fell quiet. " Your brother? " " ...Collin. My brother was named Collin. "

A thud echoed along with the loud barks and Zayliee tackled Amethyst to the stone road. She grunted as her back hit the hard surface, but switched to laughter as the white wolf began licking her face, tail wagging. " Have you missed me, darling? " she cooed, rubbing Zayliee behind her ears. She whined happily and began nuzzling her face and neck. " I shall take that as a yes. "  
" She fell asleep by the door, " Grayson informed her. " She just kept whining and staring at the stairs all night. She didn't like to with me. " " It is not because she does not like being around you; she has simply been trained to stay by my side, be my companion, and defend me. Falling out of her role as that was new, and more than likely frightened her. " Amethyst continued petting her ears, gently pushing her off and taking to kneeling beside the wolf.  
" Pretty loyal, " Drake said. Amethyst nodded, giving Zayliee one last pet before rising to her feet. " Come. We are losing daylight the longer we stand here. Where are we headed? " Grayson looked away before mumbling quietly. " What was that, Grayson? " Drake asked. " I, ah, I may have lied earlier about not...having been here before. " The trio turned to face the blonde, faces all sporting glares. " You lied about that...why? " Armen asked, dragging out the word ' why. ' " I doubt I'd be able to find a good explanation why. I'd managed to find a library, and get away with one of the books before He came, but I've haven't explored anywhere else. " He explained, quite awkwardly. Amethyst rolled her eyes. " That would have been nice to know, Grayson. "  
" I know, and I'm sorry. But, as you've pointed out, we are wasting daylight. We should start moving, see if we can find anything in these houses, return to the library. It might tell us more about what's going on here. " Drake dipped his head, showing her understood. " Well, there wasn't anything in the house we stayed in, at least not from what I could see... " The hybrid shrugged. " Should we check again, just to be sure? " Armen asked. " It could not hurt, " Amethyst agreed.  
The foursome stepped back inside, each of them going to a different room to look around. Amethyst had taken the upstairs right with Zayliee. The demigoddess, however, had no interest in what items the room may hold. Instead, she was more focused on the gaping hole in the wall. She was knelt beside it, peering up and around the blackened edges. Her fingers slid through the dark ash covering the floor, smearing her hand with the  
 _This cannot have been done by a natural fire...the ash would have blown away,_ she thought with a frown. She raised her now black hand and blew on it, sending an ebony cloud drifting around her. She waved her hand to get the clouded air away from her face. She stood up and pressed her hand to the charred wall. Though it took a few tries, she managed to coax the long-burned wood to produce a few embers. She sighed. _All the proof that I needed to show that Father did cause this..._  
Footsteps echoed on the stairs. " Find anything, 'Thyst? " Drake called. " Nothing quite yet, my friend, " she responded, not looking over her shoulder to see where they were. She turned away from the gaping hole to face Zayliee, but was shoo rises to see she was no longer behind her. Instead, she was half under the bed, growling softly. " Zayliee, what it Notch's name are you doing...? "  
She huffed and stalked over to the wolf, preparing to kneel again when she slid out from beneath the bed, dragging a heavy-looking backpack out by its strap. Her face significantly brightened. " Smart girl, " She cooed, rubbing her muzzle as she took the bag from the white wolf's jaws. Zayliee nuzzled her master's cheek and neck, causing her to laugh and lightly push her away.  
Amethyst pulled open the clasps holding the top closed with a snap. She peered inside at the contents. It was filled with silver, platinum, and golden coins, looking quite old and rusted. She picked up a few handfuls and dumped them beside her too look father inside. A few iron ingots rested at the bottom, tucked in beside a small brown bag tied with a small rope. She frowned and lifted it up by the loops, turning it in her hands as she started at it, wondering what was in it, and if it would be safe to open it. She looked down at Zayliee, who was lying beside her. " What do you think, girl? "  
She woofed quietly and nudged at her leg. She smiled. " I shall take that as a yes. " She sat the bag down and slipped her fingers into the loops, untying it and pulling the fabric apart. She gave a loud gasp and let go of the bag, staring down with wide eyes at the contents. In the bag, blue met the sunlight and reflected back against Amethyst's face, making her face gleam. The golden chain it was attached to and that was currently wrapped around the gem faded into a pale, dusty yellow color by the top, but gave no reflective light off like the jewel.  
Zayliee stared at her with a confused expression. She stumbled forward, falling to her knees once again. With shaking hands, she gently lifted the necklace out of the bag, sucking in a sharp breath. This couldn't be. This-this couldn't really be...could it?  
 _What else might it be if not that?_ Her head argued, trying to convince her that yes, this was the real thing. She'd sworn that it had been lost for an eternity during the battle between her father and her uncle, but instead had ended up here in this broken down little town.  
" The Aero Amulet, " she breathed, her terrified expression sliding into joy. With her fingers still trembling, she unwound the chained cord and slid it over her neck, letting to fall with a thud to her chest. A choked laugh bubbled up from her throat, still unable to process it. " Oh my word... " she whispered, oblivious to the effects it was casting on her.  
The boys in the next room over were startled by the sudden noises and rushed over to make sure she was OK. They were shocked by what they saw going on through their arms, which they'd thrown up to cover their eyes against the blinding light being cast at them.  
Amethyst was held in the air by an unseen force, her head tilted back with her brown hair streaming and floated around the back of her head. Her eyes were closed, and her face was relaxed and, for once, peaceful looking. Drifting around her in two spirals were odd letterings, not of the English language, which seemed to gleam and change colors as the rose and faded away when they met at the top, quickly behind continuously replaced. There was almost an odd glow to the Nether princess, but it could have just been some trick of the light.  
" Amethyst! " Armen shouted, stepping towards her, almost tripping over Zayliee, who was crouched down on the floor, whimpering softly. The demigoddess' eyes shot open and the floating letters seemed to explode into shards, sucking back into the blue stone. The force suspending her off the ground disappeared, letting her fall to the floor. She inhaled sharply as the breath was pushed out of her, coughing as she struggled to breath again. She felt presences beside her, their voices calling her name sounding muffled, as if they were underwater. She groaned and managed to suck in a breath, her hands pushing the boys away. " I- I am fine, you three, " she assured them. " I am alright. "  
" What _was_ that? " Grayson finally spoke up. She sighed and took the stone in her hands, running her fingers alongside the smooth, aqua blue edges. " It was the Aero Amulet. " " The what a what? " Armen looked at her, eyebrow cocked. " The Aero Amulet. An ancient artifact that was believed to be lost in the battle between Uncle and Father. I always hoped one day it would be discovered once more...I never expected that it would be by me. " " What about the letters? " She gazed up at him, the confusion now showing on her own face. " Letters? "  
" At least, they looked like letters... " He shrugged. Her eyes brightened. " _Ohh..._ You mean standard galactic. " She took the amulet off and shook her head in an effort to straighten out her hair. Amethyst gently placed it to the side. " By any chance, does one of you have any sort of paper and a writing utensil? "  
Grayson frowned. " What for? " She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, huffing. " Does the reason why hold much importance, Grayson? " She snarked back. Armen smirked. " Princess has got some sass, now doesn't she? " He teased her. She shot him a harsh glare, and he laughed. " Just kidding, 'Thyst. I think I might have a pen in my bag... " He set it on the floor in front of him and began searching through it. " I've got some paper...the room across form here had some in it. " Grayson slid the roll over to her. She pulled it open and tried to flatten it, grumbling in frustration when it rolled back up. She unrolled it again, trying to figure out how to hold it open, when she felt Zayliee nudging her aside, laying her paws on the corners she was trying to keep down. Amethyst giggled and smiled at her wolf. " Thank you, darling. " She praised the white and black wolf.  
Armen pressed the pen into her hand and she smiled gratefully at him. She pressed the left corner closest to her down and leaned slightly over the paper, beginning to draw lines and dots on it with the ink. They watched closely as she drew out the symbols they'd just seen, writing the English letter they represented above. " I learned the language back among the army with Seto, who was one of the only people who could understand what they are saying. I'm not very good at reading it quite yet, but I have managed to get the letters down. " She handed Armen his pen pen back and pushed away Zayliee's paws, rolling the paper back up. She gave it back to Grayson. " Keep a hold on that. It can give you assistance if you ever run into the language. I doubt I would have time to teach you now. " " Thanks, but...when would we ever run into the language...? I've never seen it before now... " Grayson questioned as he returned the paper into his bag. " This city is older. Standard Galactic was used often back when it must have been built. If that is the case, there will be many things not in English around this city that may be important. Trust me, you will want the paper. "  
" On more question, " Drake added. Amethyst interrupted him. " Dear Notch! Did I not tell you yesterday not to add onto the hundred questions we already had? " She cried. His eyes widened and he put his hands up defensively. " Ok, I'm sorry, Amethyst. I was just wondering why the Amulet had the reaction on you that it did. "  
She frowned. " By reaction are you referencing that it raised me after putting it on? " He nodded. " That's exactly what I'm referencing. " She let out a long sigh. " Then I cannot give you an answer. I have yet to understand it as well. I believe it might have to do with linking to a new owner, but that is just a theory. Father never taught me about this Amulet, as it assisted Notch in his defeat... " She trailed off and stared at the floor sadly. Armen moved closer to her and put an arm around her. " It's alright, Amethyst. Before long, we'll fix all of this. Who knows? You and your dad might be able to live together in the Overworld. But for right now, we need to focus on stopping him first. " She looked up at him for a few moments before dipping her head. " I understand. " She scooped the amulet back up and placed it back around her neck. She stood, leaving both bags abandoned on the floor. " I have no use for the money and materials left. What have you three found? "  
The others rose to their feet. " About the same. Some money, and the paper. " Grayson told her. " Alright. Grayson, you have been here before, no? Where are we headed? " The blonde turned around to the door, beginning to walk. The remaining three quickly sped up to keep up with him. " As I said earlier, there's a library around here somewhere that I'd like to look into more, since I could only get away with one book. " " Do you know where it's at from here? " Armen questioned. " I know where it's at, but not completely from here. It's about midway into town, though, so it shouldn't be that hard to find. " He shrugged. " We can head there now, unless you want to look elsewhere first for anything else. "  
" Let's just head to the library. I doubt we'd find anything else on these houses. " Drake said. Amethyst and Armen nodded. " Agreed. Let us just get this done with. " the demigoddess chimed in. " You really want to take down your dad, don't you? " Armen slung an arm around her shoulder. She nodded. " I love my father, but I cannot stand that he is harming innocents. If taking him out is the only way to stop him, them that is what I will do. " He cast her a smile. " That's pretty brave. I don't think very many kids would be willing to, you know, kill their own parents... " She frowned. " If we can refrain from killing him, then we will go that way. If there is not other way, well... " She trailed off, crossing her arms. He chuckled at her pouty expression and leaned over, kissing her cheek. She looked over at him with wide eyes, before giggling and returning it.  
Unbeknownst to the young couple, their elder friends were staring back at them, quietly laughing at them. " I told you they were an item. " Drake nudged Grayson. " Yeah, yeah, you called it... " He agreed, not moving his eyes away from the two younger friends, who continued to tease one another with Zayliee barking beside them. " As I've said, they're one awkward family... "

" Here we are, " Grayson announced as they approached the grey building. Amethyst's fingers reached out and ran along the cracking, dust covered stone. She pulled her hand away and grimaced, blowing away the powder from her hands, sending Drake and Armen into a coughing fit. " Dusty. " She muttered, wiping off her hands. " You -cough- You don't say, " Armen wheezed. Her eyes widened and she cast them a guilty look. " Uhm...I-I apologize, friends, " she apologized weakly, giving them a small smile.  
" Apology accepted, Princess. " Armen assured her as they stepped inside. Her earlier thoughts were abandoned as she gazed around, astonished by the condition of the library. Despite it having to be quite old, it still seemed to be in good condition, minus that it was pretty dusty. She looked back to see Drake shared a similar expression as he listed off the sections in a hushed tone, smiling. " Well, it appears that we have found Drake's natural habitat, " She joked, chuckling. Grayson joined in. " Let's hope he doesn't decide to ditch us to join his own kind. " Her laughter grew as Drake snapped his head over to face them, eyes wide and face flushed.  
" Well, I won't deny it...I do like my books... " He mumbled, crossing his arms. " Mainly mythology and magic and such. Maybe some history thrown in if it's interesting history. " Armen nodded. " Who wants to read boring history? " He raised his hands in a questioning motion. " I would suspect no one. Except possibly Seto, and maybe Anthony. But that is expected of them, " Amethyst inputted. Armen turned a confused look to her. " Anthony? " " Squid Army prince. Or, king now, I suppose, as Jessen has been banished...and, please, do not make me get started on Jessen...we would end up here all day if you end up getting me going on that arse... " She muttered as the group began trickling away from each other, searching the shelves for anything that could be of use, with Zayliee sniffing around, as if searching for danger.  
" I take it you don't like him? " Grayson called over his shoulder. " Far beyond dislike. He murdered Kind Edward, Anthony's father, and took the crown from him, claiming he was ' too young, ' and, as he was Edward's closest advisor, he should lead till he was older. He kidnapped Seto, tortured him for two months, and cut off his arm. To add onto that, we found out during our battle against him that during the time after he became king he had been abusing Anthony. He would use Seto many times against him to keep him quiet about it..." she shook her head in disgust. " He deserves worse than banishment, for beating on a practical child...If I was allowed to sentence him to the same punishments many of our nether beings received, why he'd never- " She cut off with a low growl and clenched her hands into fists, as fire gleamed off of the golden skin.  
" I thought you said not to get you started on him, " Armen pointed out. " I have, but you decided to anyways, " she retaliated. " I shall blame you for it. " Armen snorted and turned his back to her. She hid a smirk, pulling a book with a worn leather cover, tied shut with a rope, out of it's place on the shelves.  
Amethyst undid the rough strand and let it fall to the floor. She opened it and took a glance at the first paragraph.  
 _Once upon a time, there was a damsel in distress. She was trapped in a room at the top of a castle tower. A great and noble knight who learned of the damsel's imprisonment courageously decided that he should be the one to save her._  
The demigoddess rolled her eyes and slid the book back, not bothering to retie it. She realized that she had probably grabbed a children's book, but that didn't lower her anger. Life was never truly like this. There was next to never a knight in shining armor ready to carry you off to safety. A damsel in distress, of either gender, as she'd met many of male ones before, often would never find themselves a hero in time. Her mother was a pure example of that. She died because there was no knight running to her rescue. There was _no one_ that came to her rescue.  
" Hey, do you guys see this? " Armen called. She turned around to see the boys crowded around an open space in the shelves, looking at something. " It's a ladder. " The black haired boy confirmed. " Maybe it's one of the ladders they use for bookshelves? You know, to get higher up the shelves? " Drake asked. Grayson had wandered off again, not paying attention, until something caught his eye. " Guys, look! "  
As they turned to face him, the sound of pistons at work met their ears. A section of the floor slid away, revealing a flight of stairs. Their eyes widened. " What is- " Armen began, before Drake interrupted. " Whoaa... " " Jesus... " H eventually finished.  
Zayliee whined and huddled away from the opening, hiding behind Amethyst. She stroked her fur soothingly. " Don't worry, dear. It's just a machine being used. " The wolf continued whining, not trusting it. " Do you want to...go down? " Grayson's eyes flitted over the small screw. " Ahh...sure. " Drake agreed cautiously. Armen took a step towards it, then back again, motioning towards it with his hands, smiling at Amethyst and Drake. " Ladies first. "  
" Oh, thank you, darling, you're so kind. " Amethyst said in mock thanks as she moved forward, heading down with Zayliee. Drake expected Armen to follow her, but was confused when he didn't. Realization set in and he groaned inwardly. " Yeah, alright, fine. I see how it is. " He grumped, more jokingly than anything, following the Nether princess, giving the younger a slight playful shove on his way down. Armen laughed and he and Grayson joined them.  
They stepped out into a small room. Thee were two empty shelving areas, both with two sections of two shelves. A redstone torch lit up the room. A ladder clung to the wall next to the left shelf. " Hey, look, there's a book here. " Grayson bounded down the stairs and walked over to it. Drake trailed after him, leaving Amethyst, Zayliee, and Armen alone on the landing area. " I do not like this... " Amethyst voiced her worries. Armen took her hand. " Don't worry, Your Highness, " He added the nickname in as a joke. " I'll protect you. " She rolled her eyes. " My hero. " she muttered.  
They stepped down to hear Grayson say, " History... " in a hushed tone, speaking to himself more than the others. Armen opened his mouth to say something, but the quiet sound of shattering glass above them silenced him. " Something just broke. Did something just break glass? " Drake asked, sounding a little fearful. The foursome's eyes met each other's, wide. " Should we just take the book with us? " Grayson questioned. " Just take it with us. That's fine. I mean, if it's down here, there must be a reason for it. "  
Armen walked over to stand beside them. He pointed up. " What is that? Do you guys see that? It's a door...it's open. " He was lightly pushed aside to let Grayson through, who grabbed on and began climbing. " Ok, Uhm, up, I guess. " Drake too began climbing after the blonde. " Ohh! " He called. " It's a secret trapdoor! "  
He stepped aside to allow Armen up. " Amethyst? " He called down. " I'm coming! I have to figure out how to get Zayliee up... " Her voice rose out of the basement. She clung tightly to her wolf and, using her free hand, began pulling them both up. Thank goodness she had gained a lot of muscle mass form her training back with the army, or else she'd never be able to do this. Sure, there were bad memories associated with the place, but they'd still taught her great things.  
" Guys, this was where I found the ladder... " Armen looked over to see the hole in the shelves we here they'd been,looking into. " Armen, would you mind moving over? I happen to have a wolf with me, and I'd like to rest my arms before climbing up another ladder... " Amethyst panted. He stepped farther back and she scrambled out. " Thank you. "  
Grayson gave them the order to wait and climbed out of the building through a hole farther up. " It's clear! " He whisper-shouted back. The others climbed up and over, landing on the ground beside him. " Wait a minute...guys. It's nighttime again. " Drake realized, looking confused. The others looked around. " Huh. So it is, " Grayson murmured. " Would it be bad if I said I expected that? " They shook their heads. The ender hybrid shook his head. " I really don't like this... "  
Grayson had opened the book and began flipping through it, mumbling as he read through the pages. " Looks like an entire history of the kingdom! " He announced. " That shall be useful. Good thinking for brining it along, Grayson, " Amethyst smiled, praising him. He returned it. " Ok, let's- " Shattering glass again. " What was that? "  
Drake crossed his arms. " I'm really not liking this... " he growled. " Let's just keep going... I haven't actually explored these buildings yet. " Grayson admitted. " Haven't you already informed us of that, my friend? " Amethyst stared at him in confusion. He paused. " Did I? " I believe you did, Grayson. " She answered calmly. He stood still for a few moments before shaking him head and motioning for them to follow him. " Whatever. Just...come on. "  
As he opened the door to enter the house, Zayliee shot past, tripping him up. " Zayliee! " Amethyst scolded, running after her wolf, amulet bumping against her chest. She managed to grab onto the wolf upstairs, swiftly swatting her over the ears. " Do _NOT_ do that. Not when we are within the city. " Zayliee whined and hung her head. Amethyst sighed and knelt down, hugging her pet. " I cannot remain angry at you...just do not do it again. " Her voice was muffled by the beast's fur.  
Zayliee began whining and pulling on her sleeve. " Wha- " She looked down to see that she was kneeling in a puddle of red. She shrieked and leaped away, eyes wide. " That is _disgusting!_ " She wailed. " Thyst, what's wrong? " Grayson called up. " I was kneeling in _blood!_ Dear notch that is gross. " She stepped out of the way as the boys ascended the stairs and entered the room on the left. She remained outside, still to grossed out to follow. She heard Drake ask, " Money? What would we need money for? "  
She chuckled lightly. He was right, though...they had no use for it. It's not like they'd be buying anything in an abandoned village. They left the room and entered the next one, this time with Amethyst following. " Oh my god, what is that? " Her head snapped over to face him, expecting to see some sort of danger, but ended up snorting at what she really saw. " Grayson, that...that is a glow worm. Completely harmless. " He crossed his arms. " I have never heard of that before. "  
" That is disgusting, " Drake shuddered, " It's huge. It's seriously like the size of my head. " Armen stepped away, groaning, before his interest was taken by the hole in the wall. " So many walls with holes... " Amethyst observed quietly, following him alongside Grayson. " Look, there's a cross! " he nodded his head towards it. Drake moved forward when his two friends moved out of the open area, standing beside Amethyst. " You OK? " He asked her. She looked at him, confused. " Of course I am, mortal. Why would I not be? " " You know, this whole situation with your dad, it...it can't really be easy. " She rolled her eyes. " No, Shotgun, it has been incredibly simple to handle the fact that my father is a murderer who has lied to me my entire life. Of course I am fine. " She paused, face taking on one of guilt. " I...I am sorry. I do not know what came over me then. " He nudged her shoulder. " Don't apologize. I get it. " He gave her a caring smile. " Come on. Let's no get lost. " They jumped down after their friends.

" It looks like we need a key for this. " Grayson peered over at the lock, eyes scrunched up as he studied it. Armen moved forward from his spot beside Zayliee and Amethyst, stopping beside the eldest. " Hmm...could my...? " He ached behind him and pulled out a dagger. Amethyst's eyes went wide. " When did you get that?! " She cried. He looked back at he,r eyebrow raised. " You...just now noticed it? " She crossed her arms. " Well, I am sorry that I cared more about our safety and the fact that I have been lied to my entire life to see details like your dagger. " She huffed. He laughed. " Chill, 'Thyst. I'm just messing with you. " He turned back towards the lock and tried to put the blade in. Nothing happened. He sighed. " Didn't go in. "  
Both the younger boys started wandering off again, leaving Grayson to study the lock and Amethyst to fume quietly by the wall she was against. " Hey, Armen, " Grayson went after the boys. " Can I see your dagger real quick? It looks like it'll fit... " " Are you sure? " He passed it over. " I just tried it... " Grayson didn't answer and went back over to the wall. Amethyst took notice and stood up, watching them. The blonde slid it into the lock. It clicked. The lock slid away, along with the chains, and the entranceway faded off. She inhaled sharply. " What!? " Armen cried. Grayson handed it back. " Here. "  
Drake began sputtering in confusion. " But how... " Armen murmured. Grayson shrugged. " It...it just fit. " was his only explanation. " But we found that dagger, like... _what? "_ the ender hybrid sounded so confused. " We found it back in the city of, uhm...wait, where did we find it again? " Armen asked Drake. " We found it in the illusion. " Drake told him. " I-it was an illusion?! " Amethyst held back a snort. She knew it was bad to laugh at her friends, but mortals were just too funny.  
" ...Can you tell me about a city called Ruby Shi- " Grayson was cut off as Armen screamed. " _AHH! Ahh..._ what was that!? " Amethyst quickly ran over to the stumbling boy, grabbing onto his the shoulders to steady him. " Get in. _Get. In. "_ Grayson ordered, running inside the building. The younger's didn't hesitate to follow their ' leader. '  
Grayson gasped as he took in his room, ignoring the squeaking Armen as he bumped into him, shaking. " Whoa, guys, look at this... " he whispered in awe, walking over to a case on the wall. Lightning cracked over them as Armen continued ranging his fears to Drake, who tried his best to comfort him. " Hey, guys, " Grayson nodded them over. He was holding a pair of reed pipes, slight grin in his face. " Cool... " " Pipes of time, huh? " Drake read the title. Grayson blew a note on them,then continued to play more. " That's awesome. I'm keeping this. " He stated.  
" Not very wise to steak ancient artifacts, is it, darling? " Amethyst murmured to Zayliee. The wolf cast her a look that seemed to read, _you did it to._ The demigoddess huffed. " Yes, but the Aero Amulet belonged to Uncle. I have the right to wield it. " The large beast looked as if she rolled her eyes. Amethyst looked shocked. , I did not know you even we're capable of sass, my dear. " She smirked. " I like it. "  
The boys had moved on, talking about something called the ' Backpack of Jens. ' Amethyst withheld a snort. Such silly names, she would admit...Jens had a rather nice name. She snapped out of her thoughts when the others left the room down the stairs, including Zayliee, leaving her alone. " Hey! Wait! " She shouted, running after them, where she found them still talking over the ancient artifacts. " Think we should start reading up on the history now, just to see? " Grayson asked them. Amethyst nodded. " Would be best. " " Oh yeah, the book... " Drake muttered. Grayson pulled it out and flipped it open.  
" In the year 1202, a lone man crossed over into the barbaric land of Laargoth. Laargoth was a land of war and a tribe of savages...the man handily united the waring tribes, created armies and invaded the lands of minecraftia... maybe that's why everything's been destroyed... " he mumbled. " Seems like it... " Armen agreed. " So, one guy got an entire army of...barbarians...to come... " he trailed off. " Sickening... " Amethyst growled. " Should I go into the next page? There is another... " Grayson asked. " Well, yeah, it's a book, that's generally what you do with books... " Drake answered, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice. Grayson flipped the page and began again. Drake wandered over by the stairs.  
" Minecraftia had five kingdoms, the strongest being Ironmyre- " " Get over here now! _Get over here now!_ " Drake cried a warning as he jumped away form the stairwell, eyes blown wide. Amethyst, Grayson, and Armen began all questioning him at once as he crouched over by the other stairwell. " Get. Over here. Now. Please...I saw something I didn't like, just please. " He ordered, eyes remaining wide. They slunk over, telling he wasn't kidding. " I sense another life force, and another being wielding the power of my fire...Drake is not lying that we are in danger. " Amethyst confirmed their fears. Zayliee began whining low in her throat, nuzzling her master's leg to remind her to remain calm. " Well, I've got this shield, so... " Grayson held it up. " It's cool. "  
They began slowly walking away from the walls, Armen clinging to the walls as he moved forward. After one of his steps, a click was heard as a section of the wall fell inward. He shouted out in fear, stumbling away with wide eyes. " Armen! What did you do now!? " Amethyst cried. They all moved closer. " Whoa...what? A secret passage... " Drake breathed. Grayson pushed them out of the way and entered it. " I've never seen this before... I haven't even been in here before... " They moved cautiously after their leader, not as eager to see what was behind the wall as he was. Amethyst slid the door shut after she and Zayliee had entered. She was visibly trembling, not liking anything going on currently. She began stroking her pet's fur to calm herself.  
" Whoa, guys... " Grayson's voice echoed from below. Drake cast Armen and Amethyst worried looks before stepping after the blonde, the young couple following close behind. " The heck is this...? " Drakes voice was hardly more than a whisper as they stepped into the room below.  
It was made up entirely of Quartz. Four pillars stretched for the ceiling, though not without cracks from age and vines hanging from them. A tree grew towards the entranceway they came through, and where the area lacked any stone grass and other plant life grew. It was lit up by glowstone lamps, with a few odd glowing mushrooms scattered here and there. " It is...beautiful. " Amethyst sighed, surprised that she was so afraid of this. " Whoa,mock, this place is a little bit overgrown... " Drake stepped off the stairs and walked over to Grayson, who was beside the armor stands by the back of the room. The blonde seemed to be studying a sword lodged in a slab of stone. Without warning, he grabbed the handle and pulled it out with a grunt.  
He held the weapon up, admiring it. " I feel...weird holding it. " He said quietly. Sliding the sword to his back, he reached for the armor accompanying it, putting it on as well. The buys began to shel their awe for it, while Amethyst showed her distaste for it. " Grayson, honestly, stop stealing all the ancient relics...they do not belong to us, especially the armor and weapons... " she hissed, but her voice fell on deaf ears. She huffed. _Males can be so stupid at times...now I understand why Mother fought with Father so much..._  
" Armen, there's another set right there. " Drake nodded towards it. Amethyst groaned. " Did anyone hear me? I said to _stop_ stealing the armor, not continue! " " Come on, Amethyst, live a little. Break a few rules. Notch won't strike you down where you stand. " Grayson nudged her shoulder jokingly. It was cold. She didn't like it. " I wouldn't put it past him... " she grunted, crossing her arms and watching silently as Armen out on his armor.  
Before long, her attention was captured by the letters floating around. " Ah ha! I told you that Standard Galactic would appear once more. " She smiled and walked over to it, studying the letters with a frown. " Shame...none of them form sentences, and they are a simply a jumble of letters...shame, really. " she stepped away. " Alright, guys, let's go into the light. I'm going to try and finish reading. " Grayson walked over to the closest lamp, leaning on the wall and opening the book once more. The other three stood around him, while Zayliee went to sit by the blonde's feet. He briefly scratched her ears before beginning to read.  
" The strongest kingdom was Iron Myre, the next was Algeria, the next was Whitewater. They were the strongest. The weakest were Silver Ridge and Armada. The armies of the lone man, who came to be known as...Herobrine... " " Impossible... " Amethyst murmured. Her father should have still been in banishment...unless time had changed here. What if this was before his banishment? Or maybe not long after? She had no way of knowing. Either way, she still had a hard time believing it.  
" Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me that the guy who united all those tribes and destroyed this place was _Herobrine_? " Drake hissed. " That's what the book says. " Grayson answered defensively. Armen shrugged. " Kinda makes sense. " Grayson quickly began reading once more.  
" Herobrine quickly invaded Armada. They burned, they pillaged, and they took every man, woman...and child...and burned them alive. " Drake and Armen inhaled sharply, while Amethyst let out a sob. Their heads snapped over to the demigoddess, who's hand was clasped over her mouth, tears forming in her eyes at the words. Armen walked over, gently pulling her into his arms. " 'Thyst, don't cry... " " H-he lied to me! He promised me that in wh-what he did, not once h-h-had he laid his hand o-on a ch-child! " she chocked out. " He pr-promised that he would n-never lay his h-hand on one! W-why would he l-lie to me about that? "  
Zayliee bounded over, trying to comfort her crying master. Drake and Grayson stared at her with pity in their eyes, not knowing how to comfort her. Armen rubbed her back, head pressed into her shoulder as hers was to him. " Hey, hey, Amethyst, hey, look at me. It's ok. " He squeezed her tighter. " It's ok. Do you want us to quit reading? " She remained silent for a few moments before shaking her head. " N-no. Continue. Th-There's no need to s-stop because of me. " She pulled away, still sniffling. " I shall be fine. " " You sure, Amethyst? " Grayson asked, just to make sure. " Yes, Grayson. Go on. " He nodded.  
" They took the metals, melted them down, and turned them into weapons to use in their war against the rest of Minecraftia. Herobrine's army now had their eyes on Silver Ridge. Silver Ridge sent diplomats asking for help from the rest of the Minecraftians...they ignored Silver Ridge's plea for help, and Silver Ridge fell in a matter of days...refugees flooded into the rest of Minecraftia...there's five more pages on this book. " He looked up from the writing. " Shiuld I read them? " Drake let out a sigh.  
Outside, a faint hissing noise was heard, as if falling. Amethyst took on a confused look, but said nothing about it. " Might as well. " Armen said softly, keeping a close eye on Amethyst to make sure she wouldn't break down again. " Guys, I'm, just, getting that feeling on the back of my neck again... " he walked away, peering up the stairs. " L-let's just finish the page, ok? " " Fine. "  
" The three remaining nations united. Their armies met at Herobrine's army in the valley of Stoneheim...it was a massa- " he paused, before rephrasing. " Their armies were destroyed. " Drake shuddered. " That's tough. " Amethyst gave a silent nod of agreement. " With their armies defeated, and Herobrine triumphant, he marched on to Whitewater and destroyed them all. " " Oh my god. " Drake suddenly blurted out. " Wow... " Amrnen breathed, thought eh disgust was clear in his tone. Amethyst's eyes visibly darkened.  
" Soon after, Algeria fell. Iron Myre- oh, that must be where we're at! Iron Myre! " " Well, to be honest,met here is a lot of iron around here... " Drake gestured to the room around them. Armen chuckled. Amethyst crossed her arms. " Technically, this room is mainly made of Quartz. Though, I doubt a mortal such as yourself would know that. Quartz are a natural stone of our world. I'm certain you've almost never been into the Nether, and if you have, it wasn't for very long at all. " Drake crinkled his nose up at her. " Hush. "  
" Well, Iron Port, Iron Myre. Makes sense. " Grayson confirmed the name to himself. " Must be the same place. " Drake hummed in agreement. " Wouldn't be surprised if they're connected,d they're pretty similar... " The hybrid agreed. " And, Amethyst, there's a floor of solid Iron over here- " " Wait, guys! Guys, guys, guys! Iron Port's in here! " " Isn't that where we just were? " Armen asked. Grayson nodded. " He burned Iron Myre's villages, Iron Myre's defensive army was in the city of Iron Port... " " Oh, man, they didn't even stand a chance...their army was in another place... " Drake spoke quietly and sounded rather sad. " Iron Port fell...the army stationed was burned alive... " Before anyone could react, a bright orange glow surrounded them. Zayliee yipped and leaped away as Amethyst's hands began burning, her eyes taking on a familiar glow. " Ok, Amethyst, quit with all the mixed reactions! One minute you're crying your eyes out, the next you look like you're about to burn _US_ alive _! "_ Armen cried.  
" I do not care what I might have said earlier. My father's acts are unforgivable. Not only has he made unforgivable acts against our own kingdom, he has broken free of his banishment hold, and committed treasonous crimes against the Kingdom of Notch, and the Kingdom of Endonia. As much as my contempt for my uncle is, I cannot stand by as my father harms his people. I refuse to hold back on him now, as I have been. I simply cannot! "  
Drake walked over and placed a hand on her tense shoulder. " That's good that you're starting to realize the side you need to be on, Amethyst. But, can we do this another time? We need to focus on taking Herobrine down. We can discuss loyalties later, ok? " She let out a long breath and nodded slowly. " ...Fine... " He smiled. " Great. Grayson, you can continue. " The blonde nodded and returned his gaze to the pages.  
" Herobrine's conquest was almost complete...wait, it says something here...A five year siege began in Iron Myre's capitol. That's where we're at, I think... " He frowned at the book for a few seconds before carrying on reading. " It's wall stained with the blood of both sides. Iron Myre was able to create a weapon from the Imperial Forge; the Imperial Forge? " Questioning glances were cast around the room. Drake began speaking. " Uh, what's an Imperial Forge...? " " Sounds like some sort of Blacksmith workplace or a weaponry...the army had something similar to it, if I am correct... " Amethyst seemed confused herself, not knowing quite how to explain it, or if she was even explaining it right at all. " I don't have any idea. " Grayson said, shrugging his shoulders. " Wait, is it in the city? " Armen asked. " Maybe...maybe we can find a map back in the library! " Grayson said hopefully. " Ok, there's two more pages...should we finish the book? "  
" Summarize it. " Drake told him. " Ok. It says here that a lone man with a cross; maybe the cross was the one we saw upstairs! " " Oh yeah! It killed, like, 3000 undead. " Drake nodded. " The Cross of Mercy- that was it! " The blonde went in. " He lead the armies in Minecraftia's last stand...the last standings of the armies. He lead the against Herobrine and won. " " Whoa...one guy defeated Herobrine's army? " Drake muttered, astonished. " Herobrine was now retreating through the lands he conquered, and vanished. Amethyst snorted. " Certainly didn't vanish, that's for sure... " Drake crossed his arms again.  
" His army was slain in the year...ooh...1400. 200 years since Herobrine's invasion, new heroes have risen, and defend the land of Irom Myre, but rumors are spreading about a new cult; the cult of Herobrine. That's where it ends. " He closed it.  
Amethyst thrust her hands into the air. " Of _COURSE_ Father would have a cult. I mean, why would he not? Why would a cult for him not exist? " She looked angry once more. " My father does not need any praise from mortals...only his subjects deserve the right for that; and even then he is not worth their words. It does not make any sense to me... " She frowned and folded her arms. Armen chuckled. " Ok, I understand that outburst there, for once... "  
" Something tells me that a little more happened... " Drake spoke up. " Should we go and try to find another book? " Grayson suggested. " Why not...we need to figure out what's going on here anyways. " The hybrid told him. " I don't even know where we are. I mean, technically, I do know where we are, but... "  
Amethyst knelt beside Zayliee, who she noticed has tensed up suddenly. " Darling, what is the matter? " She cooed quietly. Zayliee whined, and Amethyst felt herself freeze as the faint sound of glass breaking outside met her ears. The sound was so familiar,Mao distinct,from spending hours working on them herself, and trying to master the skill. _Potion bottles..._  
" There is no need to worry the boys, Zayliee. " She assured the white wolf. " If we are in danger, Firesoul ***** will warn us. We will find a way out, and will be ok. " She ran her fingers down the soft fur on her back, then scratched her under her chin. " Alright? " Her companion responded by licking her cheek and nose, nuzzling her head under her neck. Amethyst laughed and hugged her. " I knew I made the right choice when I saved you back home... "  
" Amethyst! " the demigoddess looked up to see Admen peering down at her from the stairs. " Come on, we're leaving! Don't want you left behind. " she nodded and rose to her feet, following the others up the stairs with Zayliee trading beside her at her feet.  
When she reached the middle floor, she saw that Armen was holding the Cross of Mercy, marveling at it. She rolled her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time today. Do they not understand that you can't just steal ancient artifacts? She had her amulet because it was a relic that belonged to her family; it could belong to anyone in her bloodline. These weren't theirs. They couldn't take them.  
She was dragged from her thoughts by loud booms and what sounded like thunder around them. " What was that? " Grayson called. " Oh god... " Armen whispered. Firesoul began taking on a faint orange glow. Zayliee began snarling where she stood, hackles raising. They shot upstairs, Amethyst's heart beginning to beat wildly in her chest. If her sword was glowing, then her father was near. This wasn't safe...  
" Oh wow...it's pouring! " Grayson called back as he stuck his head outside the entrance. " Oh, great. " Drake threw his hands into the air. " Can you tell me the last time it rained here? " " Let's go back to the library. Maybe we can find a map. " Grayson said, ignoring his question. " Or maybe another book. "  
They went the short distance to the library. Amethyst sighed in relief when she was out do the rain. It didn't affect her like it might other nether beings, like blazes or magma cubes, but she still hated the feeling of it, and the slight burn it would bring.  
Drake and Grayson ran downstairs, while Armen, Amethyst, and Zayliee remained above, watching the windows. They remained quiet, neither knowing what to say to the other. They heard Grayson talking about finding a map, which Armen instantly ran to go and see. Amethyst remained upstairs. Drake joined her a few moments later. He stood behind the table, leaning his head into his hands and staring at the windows. " Drake? Where'd you go? " Grayson shouted. "I'm upstairs! Something just feels really off... " " We are not alone. " Amethyst said. " Hmm? " he looked at her. " We are not alone. Firesoul has been glowing since back in the room with the artifacts. " " You're just telling us this now? And what's Firesoul? " Drake asked. " I thought I was simply being paranoid, because obviously, he is around, but...and Firesoul is the name of my sword. Each god born blade has a specific name. Mine is Firesoul, the Enderborn is Legacy, and the Aetherborn is Lightseeker. " " Huh. Odd names. " She nodded. "Indeed. "  
The noise of something shattering met their ears. Zayliee began snarling again, fur rising as her lips curled back to show her teeth. She stepped protectively in front of Amethyst. " Guys, something just broke! " Drake shouted down the stairs. His gaze swung around the room; and landed on the white eyed, dark skinned man standing in the hole in the wall. Upon being noticed, he took off into the night, but it was too late.  
Firesoul exploded into light, washing everything into an orange glow. Amethyst grasped the handle in her fingers, the diamond under and in the small area around her hand bleeding into Quartz. Zayliee began howling, and her snarls increased, growing even more defensive over her young master.  
" _GUYS! "_ Drake shrieked. Her ran down the stairs. " Guys, we have to get out of her _now_. " He bolted back up, the others following. " Why? " Grayson asked. " He was here. He was right here. " Drake sounded panicked. Amethyst nodded. " Firesoul is reacting. We are no longer safe. "  
" Let me check try map real quick. " Grayson unrolled it and began looking it over hurriedly. " Where do we go from here? He knows we're here! " Drake cried. Amethyst snapped her fingers. " The church. " " The church? " Armen asked confused. " By the house we slept in. There was a church nearby. " " How does that help us? " Drake questioned angrily. " It helps, because my father cannot touch or go around sacred ground. It was another part of his curse that was out on him, to keep your kind safe. If we can get there, we will be safe for the time being. His attacks will reflect off as well. " " Wouldn't you be stuck out too, Amethyst? You said that all the nether beings were affected by it. " Armen out a hand in her shoulder. " Being part mortal, I can bypass most of Uncle's curses he has on us. I will be able to follow you in. "  
Grayson looked back over his shoulder at them, smirking. " Well, then, what are we waiting for? "

Water splashed up around Amethyst's boots as she sprinted through the watery streets after her friends. The rain had steadily increased during their time in the library, and there was a constant sheet covers them, making her almost blind. Though, she had to give thanks for the storm. Her father was much grater affected by rain than her, so he wouldn't be as strong as normal. She usually only received the burning feeling and her powers lacked their usual strength.c She took that as a good sign from Notch. One of the first she'd get from him.  
" We are getting close, friends! " She called up. " If I am correct, this is our last stretch of road before we reach the church! " " Great! " Grayson called back. " One question, though. Why hasn't your dad attacked yet? " " The rain. Being beings of fire, the rain causes harm, and will slow us down. Our powers are not as strong, and, if you happen to be weak enough, it will kill. " " Does that mean it's hurting you right now? " She nodded. " Yes. But barely. It simply burns some. " She assured them.  
" The church is just ahead. " She changed the subject, not wanting to talk any longer about nether being issues. " We must hurry. If he manages to get enough strength, he will attack, and that will give us a setback. We cannot afford that at this time. " She almost tripped over Zayliee, who suddenly shot in front of her, barking loudly the boys. " Zayliee, what- " Firesoul took on its glow again, and she shouted, " Dive! Quick! He is here! " Drake and Grayson threw themselves forward, landing on the ground of the church entrance. Amethyst shoved Armen forward as a glimpse of another being appeared in the corner of her vision, casting a fireball at her. She threw herself forward and spun around, throwing up a shield over herself, Zayliee, and the boys to protect themselves if he had somehow managed to break the sacred ground barrier. The fire bounced off something mid-air, and Herobrine gave an angry snarl at his failure. Amethyst sighed and let the shield fall. " Inside. Now. "  
Grayson paused as they walked towards the open double doors. " Hmm. The Church of Notch... " Amethyst nodded. " Yes. Sadly, he seems to be the only god people pay attention to...a God that doesn't even deserve it. " She muttered the last part, eyes dark as she stepped inside. Grayson pulled out some torches and placed them down, lighting up the room. " There. Now we can see. " " Guys, look! " Drake was standing on the platform, looking at two out of place stones. " These stones were there back at the last place, weren't they...? " " Armen, maybe your key...? " Grayson suggested as they moved over to take a look. " Maybe... " the black haired boy murmured. " Here. Give it to me. " Armen passed the dagger over to Grayson. The blonde pushed his friends out of the way and knelt before the stones, eyes narrowed. " Maybe it won't- " Drake began, but cut off as Armen yelped and the platform fell back, opening up to reveal a staircase.  
" Whoa... " They murmured in unison. Drake jumped down off his side and landed beside Armen. Grayson passed him back the dagger. " Can we just call it a key now? " He asked. " It seems to be opening everything... " Amethyst chucked as they began walking down the dark hallway, their feet thumping softly on the stone.  
" Gld, what are we running into- Whoaa... " Armen breathed as they entered the light again. It was a room, with stone walls and a grassy floor. A small, long pool surrounded by stone brick remained in the center of the room. On one side was an armor stand, surrounded by water and lily pads, and the other side has an odd looking enchantment table with a tree behind it that appeared to have a closed eye on the center. Glowstone was on the wall, lighting up the room " I feel a lot...happier here, " Grayson observed as the boys moved into the he room, eyes wide. " This place is nice, " Drake agreed.  
While they began exploring, Amethyst remained at the stairs, a sad expression taking over her features again.  
 _Tick rock, Amethyst. Better hurry now with your decision._  
Curse Notch for putting her into this situation. He knew she wouldn't refuse, she wouldn't put her friends into danger. She knew that it was almost nightfall; the sky outside didn't match up with the times, thankfully, or she'd be in some deep trouble now.  
She knew what she has to do.  
That didn't mean she was happy about it.  
She slid her hand into the side pocket on her bag, removing a folded up piece of paper. She'd gotten up early that morning to prepare it. She'd lied to Armen about watching the sunrise. Zayliee watched her in confusion. The guys were freaking out over the tree, who's eye had opened and was staring at them. They were distracted. That made this much easier.  
She laid the paper down on the bottom step and slid her amulet off, placing it on top of it. She longed for its weight again, but knew it was better that it remained with them. They needed it more than her. She looked at Zayliee and quietly clicked her tongue, whispering, " Zayliee, come. " The wold whined softly, but trailed after her master as she sprinted silently up the stairs, not looking back. She ran out of the church,pausing only when she saw her father staring down at her. They held each other's gaze for a few moments before he spoke. " Keep going west, Amethyst. There's civilizations out that way. You'll be safe. Just...just try and hide you eyes. They won't really be accepted before long. " She didn't go anymore into what they meant. She already had an idea. They kept their eyes locked for a little longer, unspoken words being passed.  
 _I do not care what you've done. I will always love you. No matter what the lies were, no matter what you did in your past, no matter what you will do, you will always be my father. I will always have a place in my heart for you, and for you only. I love you more than I can ever say, Father._  
 _I don't care what side you go on. I don't care what decisions you make. If you become a hero, if you are the one who kills me, if you become my greatest enemy, if you end up like me, I will never change my view on you. You are my child, you are my daughter, my Little Jewel. I love you so, so much, Amethyst._  
 _Your mother would be so proud._  
The demigoddess broke the stare and took off running towards the west, Zayliee keeping perfect pace with the girl. The youngest god stared after her until she had disappeared into the houses and the trees. For the first time in almost five thousand years, he found himself speaking to Notch.  
 _Thank you, Brother. Thank you for not making me have to face off against my daughter. I doubt I will ever be able to do it again as I did back in the artic...thank you._  
There was a soft chuckle in his head. _Of course, Brother. Of course._

" Hey, Amethyst! What's your opinion on my new look! " Armen called, looking towards the stairs where the demigoddess was standing. He was confused when she wasn't there. " 'Thyst...? " There was no trace of her or Zayliee, except for a folded piece of yellowed paper and her amulet on the bottom step.  
They moved over, Drake kneeling and picking up the paper and amulet. " Should we...read it? " The other two gave him a look, and he sighed. " Ok, dumb question. "  
He held the amulet in one hand and unfolded the paper, beginning to read.  
 _I know that this seems strange. I know that you are wondering where I am. I know that you are confused. Sadly, I cannot tell you why I have left. This must remain between the gods. I apologize._  
 _I cannot be here to help you in your battle. It does not include me. You have to stop my father on your own. I know that you will. You are the chosen three. You must put an end to his reign of terror._  
 _Grayson, protect the others. Be the hero that the will need during this stressful time. Keep your cool, hold a level head, and don't forget your morals and skills. You are a born leader, and you must fulfill that roll now._  
 _Drake, you need to hold onto your knowledge and your straightforwardness. Holding back will only cause tension, and problems. You are serious, but you can still show a kinder, joking side. Embrace that side. Believe in who you are. Keep a clear head, and do not lose hope._  
 _Armen, I will always love you. I regret my decision most because of you. I have never felt like this before for anyone. Do not grow bitter. Know that this only has to do with me. You have done nothing, darling. You are the youngest, but you are far from being the weakest. Remain happy. Remain strong. Keep a smile on your face, and keep lighting up the dark times in your lives. I love you more than words can say._  
 _Again, this has nothing to do with any of you. It has everything to do with my issues with the gods. Know that this is your destinies, your futures. Maybe one day, we will meet again. I pray that we will._  
 _May the gods be with you._  
 _Amethyst Lythia Brine_  
Armen felt his face fall with every word he read. Amethyst was...gone? The woman he loved, who he thought that, after this battle had ended, that they might be able to have a future together...had left? Why...? Then he remembered what she had written. _Keep a smile on your face._ How could he do that when one half of his smile was gone?  
He out his head into his hands. " Oh god... " He breathed. Drake put a hand on his back. " Armen...we can't let this affect us. You know that she wants us to focus on taking out Herobrine. We...we can figure this all out later. " Armen raised his head to look at his older friend. There were tears in his eyes. Drake sighed and pulled him into a hug, opening an arm to allow Grayson into it. The three stood there silently, just letting it all sink in.  
" We have to take him out. We have to put an end to him. Then, after this, we can go after her. We will find her. Everything will be ok. " Drake murmured.

That never happened. During the last battle, Armen sacrificed himself to save everyone, destroying both himself and Herobrine.  
Drake and Grayson went their own ways, set on never crossing paths again.  
Grayson's would go on to get married a year and a half later, and would have a son.  
Drake discovered his magical abilities, and began working on developing his Mage skills.  
Amethyst and Zayliee's status remained unknown.  
However, they were all wrong.  
This was far from the end.  
In fact, it was just beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
 **And there we go, everyone. The end of the LoH era.**  
 **Amethyst ditched them. She had a reason, but...ehhh**  
 **Kinda feelsy, I dunno.**  
 **I hope you guys liked this portion, though!**  
 **Also, I wanted to ask something. I wouldn't view this as a request, just a question, kinda, since I hate asking people for things unless it's art trades or collabs or something...**  
 **I'd love to see how you guys portray scenes in GITS. From Amethyst's appearance in Hero in the Storm, to the Drakmen hug or Amethyst drunk on hot chocolate in Pasts Hidden, to Amethyst fighting her father in Fighting fire with fire. Maybe Herobrine's memories of his family in Look at Life. Possibly the fight between the heroes and Herobrine in A New storm, or the Armethyst scenes in Our Haunted Home part 1, I'd love to see how you all view them. This is not a request. I'm just saying that if you want to, or if you ever have the time, I'd love to see your views on how everything looks. Remember, this isn't a request ( because I don't like asking for requests unless I really know you... )**  
 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It was fun to write**  
 **Probably gonna be a bit till the next chapter...need to focus on school. PARCC training started.**  
 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters!**  
 **-CaptainBatm**  
 **( oh yeah, this chapter is 11352 WORDS !? I REALLLLYYYY need a life oh god DX )**


	8. One Thousand and Nintey-Five Days

Eeeeeeehhhhhh  
Lame title, I know. I couldn't think of a better one, and Three years is kinda boring.  
No five year gap because that doesn't fit in with this story's plot and ages and stuff :P  
There'll kinda be a cliffhanger, but it won't be surprising. You know that it would happen. Though there might be one surprise in here...heh :)  
Don't question the guys logic please. Them returning to the Empire is for plot purposes, and I do believe that if it was necessary they would return ( which they do here, since they need to talk to someone back there that Grayson believe is an ally over stuffs ) Also have some neutral Luke because I can totally see Luke being a double agent for the heroes XD  
I'm having past events appear because I love doing that tbh  
SHORTER CHAPTER FOR ONCE OH MY GOD ITS A MIRACLE )  
Not my best chapter. Mainly filler, this one is. The next one will be back to my normal wiring; this ones just kinda weird for me to do, since I'm trying to switch from one period of time to another in this. Sorry about the worse writing quality here.  
OH GOD I CALL THE GUYS MEN IN THIS. MY HEART IS BREAKING BECAUSE THEY AIN'T BOYS NO MORE DX  
Also, trying to work on putting my dialogue correctly down. It's just practice, though, so don't expect me to do it kinda right forever...I forget to do it so much that I'd never stay consistent...  
If you can't tell I just add stuff to this as I go along.  
So, I finally watched Rise of the Guardians FOUR YEARS after it came out. Shaddup I know I'm late. But seriously, I love that movie. It's my new favorite. The family dynamics are just...aaaaaaaa :D it's what inspired a oneshot idea I have for my Beginning Bells story :P  
Had to tell you guys that because, yknow, fandoms  
Alright, here we gooo~!  
Notes:  
As I said earlier, there is only a three year age gap, not five.  
Not really a note, but an announcement. GITS is getting a comic! Or, a spinoff comic. It's called One Little Detail, and it focuses completely on Amethyst life from when she escaped the nether up to when she fell into the portal. Really excited for it :)  
Asterisked notes:  
* Luke being the one who told about Grayson isn't canon. It's just what Grayson chooses to believe, because Luke was the first he told about what he did.  
*A hinny is the offspring of a stallion ( male horse ) and a jenny ( A female donkey ), which Amethyst has ( on the game I made to design her home, her donkey was the one who had the child ( even though they called it a mule, which isn't what it should be called, but ehh ) She has two horses ( Oberon and Ameera ) and I haven't named her donkey yet ): it might be named by next chapter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The evening was beautiful. Stratus clouds stretched across the sky, darkened from their usually pearly white to a dark blue and deep purple as the day ebbed away. The sky was alight with a natural fire from the setting sun. The warmth was fading as it sank, leaving the world in a gentle chill. Minecraftia was in a transition between fall and summer, leaving many of the trees gleaming of orange, red, yellow, and brown. They floated around in the golden sky, like oddly colored confetti.  
A tiny infant battered at them with her little hands, giggling and squealing at the falling objects. A young woman, believed to be her mother, was sitting on the smooth, dark oak wood steps leading up to a porch, smiling down at her newborn from under the hood of her cloak. Usually, around this time, she'd be heading for her home, which was in the outskirts of the Empire. She, unlike everyone else, preferred complete isolation from everyone. Well, total isolation except for her daughter, of course.  
" You should be getting home. "  
The mother swung her head around to the top of the stairs, where a young purple haired man with a penguin hat pulled over the messy locks stood, giving her a gentle smile. She returned it and got to her feet. Her daughter whined as her fingers brushed against the brittle leaf falling before her, missing it. She began shushing her, bouncing her gently. She tickled her under her chin, making her giggle and cover her mouth with her hands.  
" Think you can get there safely alone? " The man spoke again.  
The woman raised a hidden eyebrow at him, quickly signing to him. ' _Do you not trust me, Luke? '_ " It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I want you safe. What if you get ambushed by mobs again? What if you get attacked by one of the crazier villagers? Too many of them seem obsessed with discovering your identity, you know... " She laughed. ' _So? Luke, I'll be fine. I always am._ ' He crossed his arms. " Can't blame me for being worried. " She sighed. ' _No, I guess not. I'm heading off. Tell Sabria I said goodbye._ " He nodded.  
" Will do. Be careful, Princess. "  
She visibly flinched, but Luke didn't notice it. She hastily waved and began walking away, her cloak end billowing behind her. She tucked her daughter closer to her to chest, her head right over her heart. _I will not let you get hurt like I have, Darling. I will make sure you never go through what I have had to this past year. No one deserves it, and especially not you. I swear that on my life._

 _January 13, 1768_  
 _I fear that we are no longer safe here. I heard the rumors of the man with one white eye who wreaked havoc on the Badlands, and the cities scattered about through it, but I believe they were only that. Talk spread through the merchants and the Empire citizens, to give us all a little scare. If only it was that, a way to frighten us._  
 _As of now, only one city has been destroyed by him. They say that there were only two survivors, a pair of sisters. They believe that they won't survive a week out there. It's sad, if you think about it. They had their entire lives before them...and now it's been ripped away as if it was nothing._  
 _I doubt an attack will be made on the Empire. No one, not even him, is stupid enough to try and destroy us. At least, I hope so. I only want my child safe. At the end of it all, that is my only wish._  
 _Notch help us all._  
 _The Journalist_

Her laughter was light, a sound she'd almost forgotten she could make. She was leaned against the wooden walls of the little outdoors shop, having a conversation with Abram, the man she'd sell her -usually- yearly foal and hinny* and who'd help her out with caring for them if she required it, as it had been a few years since she'd had a horse or donkey in her care. Unlike Luke, she didn't ever say a word to Abram, and, unlike Luke, he didn't understand sign language. She used paper and ink to converse with him.  
As she reached over to pick up her quill again, she was distracted by a sudden commotion farther down the road. She heard people yelling and the crowd beginning to part, civilians beginning to cry out in horror or panic.  
She almost yelped herself as she heard the loud voice of Stephen, the head mercenary, shouting; " _STOP HIM, YOU IDIOTS! "_ The people near her finally broke apart, showing what was going on. At that moment, her heart stopped.  
 _Grayson..._  
 _Oh dear Notch, what have you done?_  
Before she could think anymore on it, Abram threw his arms around her, yanking her backwards and to his chest, shielding her from the blonde, and the highly angry mercenaries; Stephen, the one everyone in the empire was terrified of, Luke, her old friend, Tanner Reid, a relatively kind man whom she knew had lost his son in the major sickness that had swept through the Empire the previous year, and Cameron Marsh, whom had never said a word since she'd known him, and who no one knew a thing about, chasing after who she guessed was now their ex-coworker. She could see something shoved into his bag, but he moved too quickly to see what it was. He briefly looked back as he went past, and met the slight bit of her gaze visible from beneath her hood.  
She gave him a nod. She hoped it would be enough to project the message that _she was on his side._  
Then they were gone. Abram held on for a few more seconds before letting go, putting a hand on her shoulder. " Sorry. Didn't want you getting trampled. " She nodded, indicating it was fine.  
" You should be heading home. " She cocked her head to the side, confused. " Whatever's going down here, " He continued, " or what's going to go down, shouldn't be something to get caught up in. Go home. Stay safe. " She huffed, tired of people treating her like she was some fragile, defenseless child. She was raised a warrior, for Notch sake!  
Abram noticed her anger and squeezed her shoulder to get her attention. " Hey. I'm going home too. I need to make sure that Jacey and the boys are alright, and in the house. I don't want they getting mixed up with the mercenaries business. What they do isn't going to end up on my list of problems. You should do the same. I'll see you tomorrow. "  
He stepped away from her and began closing up his little area for the night. She watched him for a few seconds before spinning around on her heels and walking in the direction of her home. Maybe he was right. She didn't need to get mixed up in mercenary business; it didn't concern her, so why should she? But it concerned Grayson...  
Her attention was caught by a new sight against the fiery light of the setting sun. Smoke, rising up from the wealthier side of Emerald City. She breathed in sharply and ducked into an alleyway. It couldn't be...  
She managed to get a hold on the stone wall and began hauling herself up onto the roof. Once there, she got a full view of what was going on. She gasped, eyes wide as she took in the scene. Grayson's house was on _fire._ Completely engulfed. She doubted there was any chance of anything being saved from it. What had he done that had called for the burning of his home? She'd have to ask Luke tomorrow.  
She prayed to Notch for the blondes safety as she slid off the roof, continuing on home. She had a daughter to pick up and animals to care for. She didn't have anymore time to waste tonight.

 _April 3, 1771_  
 _It's time_

 _The Journalist_

The badlands lived up to their name. It was shown many times to be practically impossible to survive long out there alone. Though Ents would usually not cause you harm, unless you attacked them first, they still killed many foolish Minecraftians, who thought they could take them out, and went out with bones snapping and a harsh impact from the ground. Mobs wandered about, their population not under control like it is around villages, and the ever powerful Empire. Many died with arrows sticking from their bodies, their flesh torn away and their bodies half eaten, covered in webbing and bloodied from fang marks, or lacking a complete body at all. Below ground, nightcrawlers moved about, destroying the ones who stayed around too long, and the ones stupid enough to attack them.  
Then there were the nightmares. Stolen souls of the ones killed off by the man with the white eye, dubbed ' Armenbrine, ' formed from his former name. They were aggressive, they stalked you, and alone you stood no chance against one. So far, unless you outran them, you died facing a nightmare. Most deaths came from them.  
Yet some still fared the wilderness, and some came out of it alive.  
" So, let me get this straight, Grayson. You're being hunted by the empire, because you stole their Dragon Egg, and you'll be killed if you go back, but yet here we are, heading back to the Empire. For what reason, exactly? " A young ender hybrid, in his very late twenties to early thirties, with his human side having a white eye, and standing at around 6' 6", glanced down at his shorter, yet older, companion. He was maybe around 5' 10", with tired green eyes and longer blonde hair. The shorter sighed.  
" There's someone back there who I'm pretty sure is an ally to us. She didn't react the same way everyone else did when I was running from the mercenaries. From what I've seen, she's always been interested in history, and the whole Armen situation. She might know more about these journal pages than we do. "  
Drake read over the torn out page again. _It's time._ What did that mean? Who was the Journalist? How did they seem to know so much about what was going on? From the few pages they had found, they'd come to gather that they must have more extensive knowledge on Minecraftia's gods that they hadn't thought important up till now. They looked far too into everything that happened, trying to figure out patterns, meanings behind attacks, and why some were spared and some weren't.  
" You still thinking more into those journal pages? " Grayson's voice had softened, as if the papers were a forbidden topic to speak about. He hesitated a moment, but nodded.  
" Yeah. Kinda hard not to... The writer is eerily knowledgable about...Him. Do you think that, maybe, it...could be her behind the journals? "  
" I'd say it's possible. There's been no sign of her since Iron Myre...maybe she's been hiding out, writing these pages. Maybe we were meant to find them. We'll probably never know. But, there was a mention of a child in that one page... " He went quiet, seemingly trying to forgot he'd brought up that topic, till the soft tone he'd used earlier returned.  
" During our three years apart, did you ever...hope you'd come across her? That she'd come running out, hands blazing and eyes glowing, ready to fight the good fight alongside you again? That Zayliee would be there, barking and pulling on your sleeves and pants, getting in the way of everything all over again? " The blondes eyes were dark. He sounded sad.  
" Sometimes, yeah. I've always kinda wished we'd had the chance for a proper goodbye if we never got to see her again... " Drake rubbed the back of his neck.  
During all these three years, he'd wished he'd kept her goodbye letter instead of Armen. When he'd fallen, he'd still had it, folded away in his pocket. He only guessed it burned when he fell in, or that it was now in the hands of Armenbrine. The only thing they had left of the demigoddess was the Aero Amulet, which he still wore, tucked under his shirt. He'd vowed never to lose it, something he hoped never to break. One day, he'd give it back to her. The one thing she seemed to hold dear to her when they'd last seen her. It belonged to her, not him.  
" We should be setting up camp for the night. " Grayson announced as they came to a halt near a rather well concealed clearing. He was trying to get away from the depressing topic they'd went to. Drake took that time to survey the area. Spruce trees stretched up around it, letting on small patches of sky show through. The grass wasn't exactly the shortest, but it wasn't sharp, like some grass he'd come across was, so they wouldn't wake up covered in small scratches that burned and itched all day. A small area of dirt would make for a good area for a fire, since it would be less likely to catch fire.  
" Looks like a good place. " Drake nodded.  
Grayson laughed. " That's why I picked it. Come one. Let's get started. I want it done before the sun sets. Things will just be harder then. " With that, the boys set into making camp. Grayson was gathering wood to start a fire, while Drake cleared the area out a little more. There was a nearby creek, so he used that to wash the dust and dirt off of his hands, cringing the whole time at the burning sensation, and to refill their bottles. The water, at the moment, had nothing wrong with it, so he wants that worried about using it. When he returned to their campsite, Grayson had coaxed a small fire to life, bathing the area in a soft glow. He placed the bottle by his friend's side, who gave him a tired, albeit grateful one. He uncorked it and took a drink, sighing.  
" You ok? " Drake asked, sitting down cross-legged beside him, placing a hand on his back. Grayson shook his head. " Just...can't believe I'm going back. After what they did to me...I know that he have to, if we're ever going to have a chance at figuring out the journal pages, but... " He looked away, green eyes clouded.  
" Grayson, what...did the Empire do to you? " Drake asked. " You never did tell me. " The blonde chuckled, a sad, pained noise that felt like a stab through Drake's heart. " Well, after I stole the egg, I got...I got ratted out by one of my friends. My fellow mercenary, Luke.* They followed me when I ran. I want going for my family, my wife, Mandy, and my infant son, Louis. I was going to escape with them, obviously. But, when I got there...everything was burning. Stephen, the head mercenary, had lit my house on fire...with both of them inside. My family _burned to death_ in front of me. After that, I...just ran. Blindly, but I ran. Drake, my son was only five months old...and he was just killed with no second thought. He never did anything wrong, couldn't have, even if he wanted to...and they just killed him... " He trailed off, a choked sound rising from his throat. Drake wrapped his arms around him, shocked. " Oh, Grayson...I'm so sorry. " He murmured.  
" Nothing you could have changed. " He shrugged. " Let's just go to bed... We'll need our energy for the journey. " Draek nodded and moved away from him. Grayson threw his sleeping bag over to him. He thanked him and spread it out on the ground, close to the fire. The blonde had already laid his down, and the hybrid guessed he was close to sleep. He smirked and got in his, closing his eyes.  
They had about two days till they reached the Empire, and Emerald City. To get there, they would need good rest, which required a good place to sleep.  
Hopefully, their trip wouldn't end in disaster.

" So this is Emerald City, " Drake breathed, gazing around at the city from their hiding place. It stretched out far into the distance, farther than he could currently see with his limited view. Elegant buildings gleamed in the light of the sun, overshadowing the smaller ones surrounding them. Small dots, the forms of people, moved about, looking like a larger any swarm." This is where you once lived? "  
Grayson nodded. " Yep. Not to far from where my house was, either. But...let's not talk about that. We have more important things to focus on. Like, getting these papers to that merchant, avoiding mercenaries, trying not to die- "  
Drake laughed. " OK, OK, I get it, Grayson. There's better things to be thinking about. " He rose from his crouched position and walked the few steps back to Grayson's side.  
" Have any idea where we're headed? You said she prefers total separation from everyone, which means her home is probably not around people. "  
" Actually, believe it or not, I do. I...may or may not have followed Luke to her place once. I never told him, or showed up there myself, but...I know where it is. Yeah, I know, I'm a terrible person, invading her privacy and all. But hey, it helps now. " Both men chuckled.  
They left the path behind, instead taking to using the hills to hide as they moved along, skirting the outside of the massive city. Drake doubted that the mercenaries after Grayson would really find them here, but it was good to be cautious, just in case. He wanted this job done and over with, so they could focus on saving Armen; which was why the meaning behind the pages were essential right now. They might hold some sort of information on how to defeat Him.  
Grayson eventually led them away from the safety of the hills, both now running to try and quickly reach their destination. The blonde threw out an arm when they reached the back area of Emerald city, pointing towards the distance.  
" It's that way. Back in the trees. Practically impossible to get to, unless you're _really_ determined to get there. " The Ender hybrid nodded, and they quickly slunk into the foliage, disappearing into the shadows. " Who would want to live back here? " Drake grumbled. " I mean, I guess it is a good place to hide if you're wanting to avoid people, but...it's so hard to get around. "  
" Exactly why she must have chose it. Keeps people who might have followed her out. " Grayson called over his shoulder as he pushed low hanging limbs away from his face. Drake hissed in pain as one struck his chest. " Ow. " The blonde looked back at him and gave him an awkward grin.  
" Ehh, sorry, Drake. " The hybrid rolled his eyes and cast him a good-natured smile, showing it was fine. The blonde focused on getting through to the house again, and keeping a clearer path for his taller friend once more.  
When they finally got past the thick plants, they were slightly shocked by what they saw. A rather large, two story home, made up of oak and spruce, was tucked away in the clearing, trees hanging over and shielding it from view. The windows had the curtains drawn, blocking any view inside. There where the sound of animals behind the building, which, when Drake looked around, he could see was cleared out, and held both an animal farm and a garden. It was quiet, almost eerily so. " Should we...knock? " Drake asked.  
" Nah. She's probably out right now. She usually was during this time of day. Anyways, we don't want to frighten her. If she is home, she'll panic over how we found her. " Grayson told him. " If it's unlocked, we'll go inside, _quietly,_ leave the papers, and a note asking for her help. If it's locked, we'll leave it here, outside, with the note. We'll tell her where to go if she will help. It'll all be fine. " Drake nodded. " If you're sure... "  
They walked up and tried the door handle. Grayson was slightly shocked when it turned. " It's unlocked. " He told Drake. " Let's get inside, get the papers in place, and get going. Don't want to spend any longer here than I have to. " He pushed open the door and they stepped inside. There was another door, attaching the small entrance hall to to actual house. That, to, was unlocked. They went inside, and Drake closed it behind him.  
Drake was surprised by the inside of the home. It looked very well lived in, and well taken care of for someone he expected was gone all day. A red couch and love seat were in one corner of the open area. An oak table was placed in the center of the two, on top of an orange and brown carpet with an odd pattern on it. The kitchen was clean, with nothing left out on the counters that wasn't supposed to be. Not to mention, there was a fully stocked cookie jar. He slapped Grayson over the head when he saw his eyes on it. Two glass doors led to the back that he'd saw earlier, where he now could tell she was growing berries as one of her plants, and had horses at the back, which he hadn't seen.  
Something brushed against his foot as he took a step, and he looked down in confusion. A yellowed paper was slightly crumpled at his feet, showing a sliver of writing. His eyes widened and he picked it up, instantly recognizing what it is. " Grayson. It's a- "  
He cut off at the sound of Grayson shrieking, which was met with loud snarling and growling. He spun around on his heels to see a very large white and black wolf crouched in front of them, yellow eyes gleaming dangerously. Her lips were curled back, revealing sharp, shining fangs. Behind the creature was a small toddler, around three years old, with short, curly black hair, a dusting of freckles, and wide blue eyes, which gleamed with unshed tears. A stuffed horse was clutched in her small fingers, practically being crushed to her chest. She let out a small whine, staring at them with eyes filled with fear.  
Grayson, seeing her about to cry, took a step towards them. " Hey, hey, sweetheart, it's ok, don't cr- " The wolf gave a vicious bark, moving forward. He stepped back, raising his hands up. " Ok, ok, I'll get back, I'll get back. " The wolf looked like they were about to attack, until she whined, straightening up and staring at them, eyes holding a strange sort of recognition. Drake studied the beast for a few more seconds, until the same feeling met him. " Wait, that's- "  
The door attached to the house slammed open, and a cry of " _MARRION! "_ rang through the house. The wolf started howling again, the little girl broke into tears, and both boys spun around to see a young woman, wearing a cloak, with chin- length brown hair, and a scar in the center of her face staring at them, just as shocked as they were.  
The most noticeable feature? Her eyes. One white, one gold. Neither having a pupil.  
Grayson whispered, " Amethyst? "

 _June 3, 1770_  
 _The Puppet met me in my dreams tonight. He was terrified, struggling to even keep the dream up, and completely upset. He warned me about the danger I and my daughter would be in. He was angry, at me, and at the others. The boy believed he would hesitate to harm us, but we need to be careful. He couldn't confirm it. He wanted me to not tel her about him, not to let her know the monster he's become; but how can I deny my child the right to know about her father?_  
 _I will begin keeping a better watch when I go out. He is nowhere close to the Empire yet, but I cannot be too sure. Hopefully, it will not come down to us having to run. I cannot be out there again, not after so long of being in a community..._

 _The Journalist_

Bet none of you guessed my plot twist (: ( no, it wasn't Amethyst being the mysterious merchant. That was expected. You know which one I was talking about -coughmarrioncough- )  
Hmm, this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...

( also Thyst is totally the one who uses the whole The Mage, The Commander, The Puppet, ect names in her journals. That is so her thing )

Keep on mining, my mineshafters!  
-CaptainBat


	9. Round and Round We Go

**I personally think this chapter kinda sucks. I'm only proud of the ending...**

 **Notes related to this account: Winter is the blonde and purple haired girl who will occasionally appear on my deviantart, will start appearing very often in my author notes with me, and was my icon before I changed it. I made her about three or so years ago, and she's my OC representation. She's not me. I'm not blonde. At all. I'm**

 **Yeaaaa new chapter :P**  
 **Marrion is adorable, Amethyst is amazing, Grayson is a great replacement dad, Zayliee is weird as always, and Drake is awkward. Also, new character is introduced!**  
 **Remember to leave feedback for these, guys. I love to hear your opinions on where this story is going! Also, they encourage me to keep going. No notion on how you guys feel about these means a sad Captain D: And no power in CaptainBat's Fanfiction Incorporated. That just gets Winter hissy at me because she can't work on scripts or keep everyone in line in the dark.**  
 **Winter: The power is already flickering, Captain...I blame you.**  
 **Hey, hey! I can't help the fact that I have other stuff to do! And** **I'm enjoying my summer break** _ **!**_  
 **Winter: Hmph.**

 **Notes:**  
 ***Referencing the scene in Chapter 2 when its pointed out that Amethyst was drinking a lot of hot chocolate, implying she really likes it. She carries that love with her through her life.**  
 ****Grayson's deceased wife, Mandy, is the older sister of Luke's wife, Sabria, making Luke and Grayson brother-in-laws, and Grayson the uncle of Luke's daughter, Livia**

Amethyst's heart was pounding the moment she saw the shoe imprints in the soft earth. _No one_ was supposed to know where she lived. No one one but Luke. Now, someone else had found it. She'd left her door unlocked, believing she wouldn't be gone long. She wasn't. That would be fine, if they had gotten in and took her things. They were just that. Things. Nothing more. They could be replaced.  
What couldn't be replaced was her angel, her little girl, who she had left behind, under the eye of Zayliee. If anything happened to her, she could never forgive herself...  
She shot up the path, shoving low hanging branches out of her face, eyes blown wide. They swiped and cut across her now uncovered cheeks, leaving pale scratches along her skin. She had to go, had to go quicker, had to protect her child...  
The front door was open, but the inner door was closed. That confused her slightly, wondering what robbers closed the door behind them, but didn't ponder on it much longer. Her booted foot made contact with the oak wood, the door slamming open in tune with her cry of, " _MARRION! "_  
The intruders spun around, eyes meeting hers with looks of shock. Marrion burst into tears. She felt her jaw drop open when the realization set in. _They'd found her. Drake, and Grayson, they'd found her again. After so long...they were back. Why were they back?_  
Grayson whispers, " Amethyst? " She snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice. Anger bloomed in her chest, a burning feeling she hadn't felt in years. After all this time, after all these years, where they'd left her alone, where she'd been able to start a life, to find happiness, to be _herself,_ they show up again? Just burst into her home, as if they have the right to do so? To send her beloved wolf into attack mode? To make her child _cry!?_  
She shot past them, sweeping her daughter into her arms, cooing softly. The black haired child sniffled and nuzzled her face into her neck, choking out a sob. She cuddled her closer to her chest, rocking her gently, hand rubbing small circles on her back. She began crooning in another language, trying to calm her down.  
Drake spoke up first. " Amethyst...? That...really you? " The Nether princess rolled her eyes. " Who else might it be, Drake? " She asked, sarcastically. He raised his hands in a surrender motion. " No need to get snappy. Im not here to get into a fight with you. I'm just surprised, that's all. " She huffed. " Yes, same here. More so on why you are here in my home than how you found me, but...nonetheless. " She spun around, turning her attention to her daughter once more, gently stroking her cheek. The small girl raised her head, looking up at her with glossy blue eyes. She sighed and nuzzled her forehead. She felt something brushing up against her, and looked down to see Zayliee rubbing against her side. She scratched her head, between the ears. " Tell me, my friends. Why have you come back here? Why have you come after me? "  
" We, ah, we weren't actually after you...we were trying to find the merchant. We needed help with some journal pages. " She stiffened. " J-journal pages, you say? " " Yeah. Written by someone called the Journalist. You wouldn't happen to know anything about those, would you? " He crossed his arms, voice obviously accusing her of something. She tensed, eyes darkening. " I have no idea what you speak of, Crown. " she muttered. " Actually, I think you do. " Drake walked over, pressing the paper in his hands into her looser one. " ' The Puppet ' mentioned in this one is obviously Armen. He came and talked to you, didn't he? Besides, why else would this be in your home? "  
She sighed and crushed the paper in her hand. " Alright. Yes, I am The Journalist. Thank you, f-for finding my pages. I, ah, I had an accident last week with one of them. I lost many of my pages. " She sent a light glare in the direction Of Zayliee, who seemed to be playing innocent at her side. Marrion has stopped crying, and was now watching the men, a look of awe mixed with confusion on her face. Grayson caught her eyes and smiled, bending down slightly and waving at her. She giggled and hid her face against her mother's chest.  
A smile graced the face of the Nether Princess at her child's laugh. She lifted her up under her arms and placed her in Grayson's. The blonde's eyes widened, and he adjusted his hold on the tiny girl. " Amethyst, why are you...? "  
" Go sit down, if you would. I shall make drinks. I want her out from under my feet, so she will not be harmed. " Grayson looked confused. " Why would she get hurt? " " Grayson, she is three. They can find every way to harm themselves, whether it seems like it would be dangerous or not. I have lost enough mugs and removed enough glass from her body to know that. " He nodded and carried the toddler over to the red couches, sitting down on the far edge of one. Zayliee and Drake followed. The Ender hybrid flopped down beside the shorter, Zayliee laying by their feet beneath the wooden coffee table. How she even fit, they didn't know.  
Amethyst busied herself with heating up water and searching for clean glasses. When she opened up one shelf after gathering what she needed, Drake caught sight of what was in it and started laughing. " _Please_ tell me you don't have a shelf for hot chocolate. ***** " He chuckled. Amethyst's face flushed. " Hush, mortal. " She muttered as she continued on her work making the hot drink.  
She left her and her friends' glasses alone as she took three ice cubes from her ice box, enchanted to keep whatever inside cold or frozen. She hissed and whined as her skin met the frozen liquid, which hurt her just as bad as water did. She quickly dropped them into Marrion's glass, not going to risk her daughter burning herself. She might also be considered a demigoddess, in some way, but she completely lacked her mother's powers. She was fully mortal, ability and defense-wise.  
She walked over, the burn of the glasses not affecting her. Amethyst placed her own down on the wooden coffee table and her friends' their's. Marrion gave a soft, happy, " Yay! " and quickly began drinking the cooled chocolate. Amethyst settled down on the couch across from them, absent-mindedly sipping from her own mug, eyes unfocused.  
" I never wanted to leave, you know. " She suddenly spoke. " I had no choice in the matter. " Grayson frowned. " What do you mean you didn't have a choice? Of course you did! " She shook her head. " I either left, and let you back on your original destinies, or not one of us would have made it from Iron Myre alive. I was told by Notch himself, Grayson. The god over both our lives, and over destiny. Does it really sound like much of a choice to you? "  
Grayson looked down at the child on his lap, content with her drink, oblivious to the conversation between him and her mother. She might not have been born if Amethyst had stayed. No, not might. She wouldn't have been born. Neither would Louis, if she'd stayed. At least he'd gotten to spend five months with the boy. To never have him be born...it hurt to even think about.  
A soft, overly warm hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to see Amethyst staring at him from her side, eyes not giving away her emotions, as always. He shuddered. " Stop that, 'Thyst. Your eyes are creepy. "  
She blinked before pulling away, nodding. " Apologies, my friend. " She murmured. The princess of the Nether, however, seemed to forget what she'd just done, however, because her eyes, tired and knowledgable as they were, met his again. " Are you alright, Grayson? "  
He scoffed. " Why would I not be? " She huffed. " You seemed rather distanced. I just wanted to make sure that there was not high wrong. " His gaze softened. He knew she couldn't help but be worried. " Yeah, 'Thyst. I'm fine. Just thinking. "  
" Okay, enough about us, and how we are. " Drake said. " I have some questions for you, Amethyst. About what happened with you during our time apart. " She nodded her head and leaned back in the soft couch, steam still rising from her glass. She kept it constantly boiling with her powers. " Ask, Ender. "  
" First off...where'd the kid come from? " He questioned. Marrion looked over at him, cocking her head to the side. Amethyst chuckled lightly. " It is a bit of a longer story...do you remember the night we spent in Iron Myre...? "  
-Flashback-  
 _Notch had never warned her about this loop in her life. This possibility. She had only expected to follow Father's instructions, head to the west, and find the mortals he was sending her to. To wait for her friends to find her and Zayliee, hopefully. Not this. This is nowhere in the plan._  
 _Zayliee's head nuzzled into her jaw again as the demigoddess tried to halt her cries. She peered over her legs, sniffling. Her companion, her best friend, stared at her with wide yellow eyes, tail swishing. She was already getting so big...and she wasn't even done growing yet. She smiled softly._ Just focus on that _, she thought._ Don't focus on what you've just learned.  
 _Not only was she and Zayliee alone, hopelessly lost, and barely surviving, she now had been stuck with another mouth to feed. Another life to defend._  
 _She was two months pregnant._  
 _It didn't take long to understand who the father was. She had only been with one person during the time prior. The man she had had to leave behind._  
 _Guilt hit her hard again. Here she was, complaining over her petty issues. Her future child would be the one to suffer from her mistakes. She raised her hand to pet Zayliee, willing her to take away her grief, make her smile. She needed it now more than ever._  
-End Flashback-  
" Wait, " Drake held his hand up in a stop motion. " You, and Armen, did...and you got...and had...? " Amethyst remained straight-faced. " Yes. " He moaned. " Mental images, 'Thyst. They're not pretty. " A wet nose pushed into his leg. He looked down to see Zayliee, gnawing on a ball, her face close to him. He smiled and patted the soft, white fur. Her tail thumped in response. The demigoddess shrugged. " That I cannot help you with, Drake. Your mind is one place that even I have no hope of saving. " The ender smirked and shook his head at her.  
" Anything more you need to ask? " The brunette crossed her legs, raising her glass to her lips and taking a drink. Grayson nodded. " I have one. How'd you get the the Empire, anyways? "  
A laugh bubbled from her throat this time. " You can thank Luke Rain for my arrival here. He rescued me from the Badlands. "  
-Flashback-  
 _It was official. Amethyst hates the night. It was cold, which burned at her skin and left her achy all day, it was too dark, it made her feel even more lonely, and this terrible world became even more frightening. Don't even get her started on the monsters. Oh, the monsters._  
 _She did not understand why her father insisted on their creation. Sure, they helped keep populations under control, but they also destroyed villages. Ruined crops, took_ too _many lives. And, now, it seemed, they'd turned on their creators daughter._  
 _Another arrow lodged itself into the thick wood of the spruce tree beside her with a thunk. She gasped, stumbling away and almost loosing her already failing balance. Zayliee snarled at her side at the advancing mobs, fur bristled and blood stained teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Blood splashed over her once clean, snow white fur, staining it pink. She limped badly, with an arrow lodged in her muscled shoulder, tearing with every movement. Her ear was torn bad._  
 _Amethyst was not much better. She was clutching her arm, bleeding sluggishly from two small puncture wounds. Spider bite. She'd left the monster behind in a pile of ashes, and, thankfully, saw it in time to know it probably wasn't poisonous. She'd never loved Firesoul more._  
 _Her knees were torn open and bloody. Same as her elbows. Dirt, bruises, and cuts littered across her face. Her white shorts were more tan now from dirt and mud, and clung stiffly to her legs. And, to top it all off, she was eight months pregnant. Not a very good mix._  
 _She let out another cry as the arrow finally struck its target, right in her calf. She toppled forward, curling herself in a way that would protect her stomach. She wasn't going to let this child die. Zayliee yippee in fear, nudging her, trying to get her back on her feet. She cast her pet a sorrowful gaze and shook her head. She couldn't get up. It hurt too much simply to breathe._  
 _Zayliee grabbed onto her shirt, tugging on it. Amethyst cried out, curling in on herself. Zayliee finally realized that her master wouldn't be getting up, and lay beside her, wrapping herself around the Nether princess to protect her from the approaching mobs._  
 _Her ears suddenly perked up. She heard footsteps. The wolf, realizing that this might be the last chance to save her master, let out a sharp whine, trying to get the attention of whoever was close. The steps stopped, then came again, louder and more urgent. They'd heard her. They were coming._  
 _A voice cried out into the darkness, " Dear Notch! Tanner! " A dark shadow leaped from the as-dark trees, bearing a long sword that he used to strike down the oncoming mobs. Another man, taller than the first, followed, wielding a sword similar to his. The monsters that had not even moments before been threatening their lives fell under the power of the men._  
 _The first one, an average sized man with lilac colored hair, orange/blue eyes, and a set of armor adorned with purple. He knelt in front of the wolf and master, gently reaching out a hand to the beast. Zayliee leaned forward, nudging the skin with her nose, whining softly. He looked over at his companion, a tall black haired man with tan skin, and patches of freckles the color of dirt covering his face. He, like the other, was wearing a full set of armor, but his color was blue. " The girl's hurt. Head back to the castle. Tell Stephen, that we need use of the infirmary. It's not good. " He nodded, and turned, running back into the shadows._  
 _Amethyst moved her tired eyes to the man, a small smile forming on her lips. He returned it. " Will your wolf let me touch you? " He asked quietly. She nodded. He hooked his arms under her body, Zayliee jumping back to give him space. He cursed when he saw her stomach. " Don't worry, kid. I'll get you both out of here. " He murmured. Amethyst didn't answer, just closed her eyes and relaxed in his arms. She was safe. She would be okay._  
-End flashback-  
Amethyst jumped when Grayson slammed his hand on the arm of the couch, cursing. Marrion bounced on his leg, almost spilling her glass. Amethyst's eyes widened, then narrowed. " Grayson! " The blonde didn't hear her. " _Luke Rain_ saved you!? " He spat. " That lying, traitorous, scumbag!? " Amethyst stood suddenly, snarling. " Luke Rain is an honorable man who has done nothing but help me, and Marrion. And, are you forgetting your ties to him? ****** " He rounded on her. " Don't. Don't you bring Mandy into this. He is not my family, and he never will be. " " You cannot deny your ties, Grayson. I cannot ignore mine, and neither can you. " She retorted. Drake stood up, slamming his hands in the table. Four sets of eyes turned to face the now fuming ender. " That's enough. From both of you. We shouldn't be fighting now. There are more important things to focus on. " The mortal and demigoddess continued staring each other down until Grayson huffed, crossing his arms and looking away. Marrion, bored now, slid off his lap and toddled over to where Zayliee was, and flopped by Drake's feet to play with the large wolf.  
A loud knock sounded on the door, and Zayliee started barking, startling Marrion, who tumbled back into the couch. Amethyst chuckled quietly. " Speak of the devil... " she murmured. Her head snapped to face her friends. " You two. Follow me. "  
She leaped from her couch, heading towards a corner of the room. They looked at each other, confused, as she knelt down, reaching down towards the floor. Their eyes widened as they saw she was pulling on a latch, which opened to reveal a trapdoor. She looked over her shoulder at them, stepping back. " Get down there, and stay quiet. He does not know it exists. You will be fine. "  
Grayson cautiously got to his feet, Drake following. He jumped down below the house, not bothering to use the ladder. The ender was a little more careful, actually using the ladder for its purpose. The Nether princess let the hatch fall again. She walked briskly over to the door, tugging up her hood to cover her eyes, pulling it open to reveal the purple-haired mercenary standing there, smirking.  
She dipped her head politely to him. " Luke. " " Amethyst. " He stood up from his spot on the wall. " How've things been for you? " She shrugged. " As fine as they can be. You? " " Same. Livia's a lot better than she has been. It's Sabria I'm worried about now. She...she hasn't been taking Mandy well. Which is expected, but...it doesn't seem to be getting any better. " Amethyst sighed. " I doubt she will for a while, Rain. Give her time. It's only been a few months since. " She turned around. " Let me get the potion. This should be he last one, no? " Luke nodded. " Yeah. She's almost healed. I didn't think it would take this long, but at least she's alive. Tanner's son wasn't that lucky... "  
Amethyst had walked over to where she'd dropped her bag, going through it and pulling out a glass bottle almost full of lightly bubbling, gleaming pink liquid. Marrion had walked over to her mother to see what she was doing, and Amethyst swept her up into her arms. She walked back over to Luke, passing the bottle over to him. He took it and slipped it into his bag.  
" You should have taken her to a doctor, Luke. She could have been fixed within three months. " Luke frowned and shook his head. " You know it's not that easy, Princess. Mercenaries don't always get the same pay. The Emperor picks his favorites. I'm not one of those. I didn't have the money for a doctor then. Even now I don't. " " You could have came to me, Luke. I have enough money to help out, I could have helped you with the bills... " " No, Amethyst. I couldn't have asked you to do that. You need what you can get. " He put a hand on her shoulder. " Let me at least pay you this time... " Amethyst narrowed her eyes at him. " No. I will not allow that. Go, Luke. Get that back to your daughter. Make sure she is okay. " He watched her for a few moments before nodding. " Alright, Amethyst. Be careful. " He reached over and tickled Marrion, who giggled. " See ya, Mary. " The toddler waved at him as he turned on his heel and walked away from the house. She watched him go, then when he was out of sight she closed the door and set Marrion back down. " Go to your room, darling. " She murmured. " It is starting to get late. I will come in later, okay? " The little girl nodded her head. " Okay, Mommy. " She toddled off to her room, Zayliee walking beside he, casting a large shadow over her.  
The demigoddess walked over to the trapdoor, pulling it open and jumping down. The boys are standing in the first room, staring around in awe. " You really got into your potion making, haven't you? " Grayson asked her, motioning to the neatly set up room.

She gave no answer. " It is late. I cannot risk you two being upstairs where you could be seen. There is enough space in the storage room for now, until I find a better solution. " Neither of them said anything about it. They knew she wasn't all that happy with them, and were just glad she wasn't kicking them out. " Thanks, 'Thyst. " Grayson told her. She snorted, but said nothing.  
Amethyst walked back over to the ladder, climbing back up. " Well, let's get to sleep, I guess. " Drake shrugged, and walked over to the glass doors leading into the room. Grayson kept his gaze on the ladder for a few moments longer, then nodded and turned, following the ender.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
 _" Armen! Armen! " She knew he was here. She wouldn't have been brought here if he wasn't. Every person in her dreams had their own special setting; Her mother was their nether fortress, Aunt and Uncle was the lake back with the army. Armen was Iron Myre. And that's where she was._  
 _She sprinted down the roads of the empty city, trying in vain to find the man she loved. They didn't have much time, they never did in dreams that involved him, and she needed to find him, needed to make sure he was okay-_  
 _" Amethyst! " She dug her heels into the gravel, sliding to a stop. She looked around. Where did that come from?_  
 _" Amethyst! " There. From the direction of the church. She shot off again, bathing growing heavy. She felt like her chest was being crushed. She needs to hurry, go faster, you're not going to make it-_  
 _She burst through the church doors, and there he was. His blue eyes were wide and tired-looking, much like her own. His usually messy black hair was worse that she'd ever seen it, tangled and greasy looking, showing it was in need of a washing. His skin was covered in darker patches, burns, and faint bruises from the battle. Hanging from his wrists were a set of snapped chains, clattering against each other. He looked as if he'd been crying._  
 _She gave a soft sob and rushed forward, throwing her arms around her lover. He returned the gesture, holding her close as she cried. It had been so long since they'd last seen each other..._  
 _" Amethyst... " Armen pulled away. " I would love to talk with you more, but...I can't. I only have limited time, and I have something I need to warn you about. " Her face fell. " Wh-what? "_  
 _" You aren't safe, Amethyst, " He cried. " Not you, not Drake, not Grayson, not Zayliee, not even Marrion. He plans to take you out tomorrow, you have to go... " She grabbed onto his arms. " Armen. I can fight my father. He won't hurt us. " " No! You don't get it, he's stronger...even you can't take him down. Please, go, before someone pays the price... "_  
 _" But I am stronger too. I will fight until I cannot fight any longer to protect us. You need not worry, my love. " She pulled him into a hug. " I will keep us safe. "_  
 _He smiled, a weak one, but a smile nonetheless. It suddenly fell, though, as the dream world seemed to begin collapsing around them. Armen's form began wavering. " He's fighting me! " Armen yelled. " I can't- keep it up... " Her eyes widened. " Armen, no! " He ground split below her feet, and she screamed as she was sent falling down into a dark abyss._

In a house on the edge of the empire, a young woman jolted awake, the end of a scream still on her lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
" Get up. Both of you. " Was the first thing that Drake was greeted with the next morning. The second was a pounding headache. He grunted, pressing his fingertips to his head, before looking over to see who was there. Standing in the darkness of the room was Amethyst, her face dark. Marrion was in her arms, clinging tightly to her her mother's cloak.  
" 'Thyst, what's wrong... " Grayson mumbled, yawning. " Come see for yourself. " She spun on her heel, and walked back to the ladder. The men looked at each other, confused, but got up and followed her.  
She stopped to open up a glass case and pull out a diamond sword; a disguised Firesoul. Amethyst walked outside, and raised her hand up towards the sky. " Do you see that? " She asked.  
" See what? " Drake looked confused. The only thing off was how dark the sky was, especially when the sun should be up by now. Amethyst growled. " He is coming. "  
" What!? " Grayson shouted. " The darkened skies is one sign. He is coming and we are in danger. " She turned to face the boys, the froze. She shoved Marrion into the arms of the blonde once more and spun around, throwing up her hands. A translucent, glowing orange half circle formed above them, reflecting a large fireball sent their way. Marrion screamed. Amethyst looked over at them, eyes narrowing. The shield fell. " We need to get out of here, " She murmured.  
" Amethyst, watch out! " Drake yelled, moving forward to pull her away from a new ball, but Zayliee beat him to it. She lunged at her master, slamming into her body. They both rolled away from it as the ground exploded into flames where they once had been. Zayliee whimpered as the flames burned lightly at her flesh. Amethyst hissed, gently pulling her wolf off of her. She rushed forward, grabbing Marrion and dodging another attack sent at her. Some of the flames met her home, and it slowly started burning.  
The brunette faced them. " Keep him busy. I need to help my animals- " She stooped when she heard a loud explosion, and several cries. She spun around to see her animals pens burning, trapping the creatures she'd come to love inside. She gave a choked scream and ran towards the fire. If anything, she needed to save her horses, and her donkey. They were a must.  
Amethyst ran through the closed gates of their outdoor pen, going to free her donkey first. She ignored the blistering metal of the gate latch, and threw the latch open, the gate flying open. Her donkey rushed out, and she moved on to her horses, doing the same with them. Ameera ran for the back fences, jumping over them and running into the forest. Oberon and her donkey, however, weren't as lucky, as the fences slowly stated burning around them. With tears in her eyes, she turned back to help the boys. She clicked her tongue for Zayliee, who was under her bushes, to follow her as she rejoined her friends.  
" We need to run! " She yelled. " My home is burning down, there will be no other way for us to- " she stopped. Then, a loud explosion, three sets of loud cries and shouts, one little girls wails, the howl of a wolf, and fire.  
Notch, help them all.

Amethyst awoke to silence, the strong smell of smoke, soggy ash and soot clinging to her face and hair, and rain thundering down on her, drenching her cloak and causing it to cling to her body. She sat up, groaning and wincing at the burning in her limbs. She sat up, and heard a small whimper. Curled at her side, protected from the force of the landing and from the fire that had raged around them, was Marrion. The little girl opened her blue eyes and stared up at her mother, crying out again. The demigoddess swept her into her arms, holding her close. " Oh, I am so sorry, my darling, I didn't want you to get caught up in this... " She murmured. Her heat suddenly stopped. Zayliee. Was she alright?  
She jumped to her feet, looking around. Both boys looked like they were waking up, which was good. But where was Zayliee?  
A soft, gentle whining noise rose from the top of the crater. The Nether princess pulled herself out, hissing and grunting, and saw Zayliee, struggling to stand on one of her paws. Her fur was soaked and sticking to her skin, making her look tiny. Her white fur was greyed from the ash, and her muzzle was bleeding.  
Amethyst knelt next to her. Zayliee sat down, holding her front left leg oddly. She took it in her hands, examining it. She sighed. " I will get that healed in a minute, okay? " She told her quietly, resting her forehead on her's. Zayliee responded by licking her cheek. She pulled back and smiled. " Wait here, darling. " she set Marrion down next to her wolf, and jumped back down into the crater to get the guys.  
Grayson, looking to bee in the same condition she was, was trying to get Drake on his feet. Every time he'd finally get up, his leg would crumble beneath him, and send him to the ground once more. She sighed. " Keep him down. Let me look at his leg. "  
The brunette fell back down, groaning. She fell to her knees beside him, looking over his leg. After a few moments, she slid off her bag and opened it, pulling out a bottle full of a liquid like the one she gave Luke. " Healing potion. Take half, I need to give the other to Zayliee. Your leg will be healed in about two hours. "  
She did as told, and she took the bottle and jumped back out of the hole. She sat next to Zayliee. She snapped her fingers. " Open. " the large wolf opened up her mouth, and Amethyst poured the rest of the liquid in. She patted her pet's head, and picked Marrion up, pulling her cloak over her to protect her from the rain. Zayliee jumped up as well, her injury not as bad as Drake's, which sped up the healing process. Grayson helped Drake up and slung his arm around his shoulder, helping him out of the crater.  
" We need to get moving. Where were you two planning on heading after here? " She asked. " The Red Keep. " Grayson told her. She nodded. " Then we shall head there, no matter the length of the trip. Maybe we can find other people there that need our help. " They made their way through the ruins of Amethyst's home, and the surrounding forest. She tried not to look at her home, which was completely destroyed. It didn't matter. They were just things.  
The group of friends remained oblivious to the figures on a nearby hill, watching them walk off into the woods, drawn by a frightened, yet familiar, horse, explosions, and fire. They didn't know that they were very, very familiar to some of them, and that they would eventually become one of their greatest problems.  
They didn't know that the mercenaries were already after them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Her life these days consisted of two things. One, always stay moving. And two, trust no one. These cultists around had made sure she knew no one was safe, that everyone could be dangerous. That she wasn't safe anywhere, or with anyone. Not since Sage. Not since...not since that day.  
She took another step, her legs trembling beneath her. She'd been at the Keep for not even a day now, and she was already wary. It wasn't often she found shelter, and for someone with a twisted foot, who was extremely tired and malnourished, and had been for a few years now, this was a heaven to her. Safety, food, clean water, and shelter. It was all she needed in her life. Only the necessities.  
She felt her leg ready to break beneath her once more, and she leaned on her stick, trying to help get her balance back. She thought she'd heard something, something other than the Paganum wandering around. She understood them, something you learn to do when they're the only ones you know aren't corrupt, since they can't understand a word of anything but Paganum.  
She froze. Yes, there it was again. Voices. And was that...barking? Oh, no, they had a wolf with them. Wolves were bad, they were vicious, vile creatures that hunted down stray people in the night to tear them apart and-  
" Hello? " She squeaked when she heard a voice call out to her. In English, nonetheless. She raised her head, eyes wide, to take in the newcomers, who seemed to have been running only moments before.  
One of them was a slightly short blonde, in a black jacket and green shirt, looking tired, and soot-covered. They all were soot-covered, she realized. They must have...have ran into him.  
The one beside him, the one who had called out to her, was a very tall, darker skinned man, in a blue t-shirt and purple-ish pants. Half of his skin, his right side, was black, ender black. His eyes was purple, and that, too resembled an ender's eye, with a long, pointed elf-like ear. _A hybrid._  
The last was a short, brunette woman, dressed in a dark, dark red cloak,maths reminded her of the color of blood. _Blood, blood is bad, blood has only meant bad things for your it means death, death of everything you know-_  
 _Focus, Roxy._  
A long scar ran down the center of her face, down the bridge of her nose. She leaned in slightly closer to look at her eyes. They looked...weird. That's when it hit her. They...they were his eyes. They looked almost identical to His, that was bad, she could be dangerous. But, she also could not be. If she was like him, then the others would be dead. He was unforgiving. Maybe...maybe she would spare her, like she had the others. Or, maybe it wouldn't be so bad going...she'd be back with those she loved again...  
The woman had a baby. She was tucked under her cloak, asleep with her head on the woman's shoulder. She resembled no one on the group, but...she does look a bit like Him. Dear Notch, why does everyone associated with this woman look like that monster!?  
She saw the wolf. A large, white thing, with gleaming yellow eyes and sharp fangs, black markings scattered over its body. It...didn't look very dangerous. But some of the most deadly things you never would have guessed to be deadly in the first place. She knew better than to let her guard down.  
" Hello? Are you alright? " The hybrid called again, stepping closer to her. She closed her eyes, swallowing hard. Maybe...maybe she could trust them. Just...just for a bit.  
" ...No. " She finally got out, right as her legs crumbled beneath her. The ground rushed up towards her, footsteps ran forward, and she knew no more.

 **UHM...**  
 **IM SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER...?**  
 **WOULD THE FACT THAT I KINDA HATES WRITING FOR A BIT BE A GOOD EXCUSE...? AND THAT IT MADE ME FEEL SICK WHEN I DID IT...?**  
 **THATS PROBABLY WHY THIS CHAPTER SUCKS. BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW THIS ONE SUCKS.**  
 **Winter: All your chapters suck.**  
 **Shut up, Winter.**

 **Stuff happened a little fast, but then again this is Herobrine. He ruins moments. And anything remotely happy. I mean, look at his marriage.**

 **Anyone get my name drop? Mmhmm. If you follow my Twitter, you already know what this chick looks (COUGHCOUGHH ARCHY COUGHCOUGH)**

 **Anyways, I guess that's it. I plan on getting out the first chapter of Minecraftia's factions next, and I need to make an announcement about that, since the original faction actually got reset, so...**  
 **See you all next time.**

 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters!**  
 **-CaptainBat**


	10. The First Survivor

**Past events. Woo.**

 **You don't get any updates in the present just yet :)**

 **Chapter image is of Roxanne**

Soft laughter rose from a young duo, a boy, with rusty hair and minty colored eyes, dressed in a white vest and greyed-red undershirt, and a girl, with short brunette hair and blue eyes, dressed in a plaid shirt tied at her chest, short white undershirt, and _thick-rimmed_ glasses, who were walking on the side of a gravel road. Their hands were clasped together, swinging as they walked. The girl had her head resting on her partner's shoulder, simply listening to the sounds of nature. It was perfect out here. The village was a beautiful place, surrounded by nature, and far from the rule of the Empire. They were free, and they lived peacefully. She could not ask for more in her life.

He led her up to the front door of a spruce wood house, taking his hand away from her's. He picked it back up into his hand, and briefly pressed his lips to them. " Till we meet again, m'lady, " he joked. She laughed. " How romantic, Hagan. "

" I do try, Roxanne. " She pouted. " It's Roxy, Hogie. Roxy. Not Roxanne. That's to formal. " Hogan chuckled. " Okay, Roxy. " He leaned in and kissed her cheek. She smiled. " Three months left, " she murmured. He gave a slight nod. " Seems so far away still... " He agreed.

Someone cleared their throat behind them. The couple turned to see another young woman, older than the duo, with sandy hair, wearing a white and blue dress with a crown of flowers around her head. Like Roxy, she had blue eyes, though her's were darker. The blonde crossed her arms. " Are you two finished yet? " Roxy huffed. " You're just jealous, Sage, that I'm going to be married before you will. " Sage snorted. " Jealous? Of you? I'd rather face off against Notch than fall in love with Hogan. " The red-head feigned shock. " Sage! How could you say such hurtful things? " He raised a hand to his forehead, acting like he was about to faint. " Oh, I can't even fathom how much that hurts... " he leaned on Roxanne's shoulders. " Tell her to stop being so mean, Roxy... "

The brunette was laughing, hand clasped over her mouth. Sage rolled her eyes. " Get going, Hagen. You aren't my brother-in-law yet. " He shook his head, and kissed Roxy's cheek again. " See ya, love. " She smiled and hugged him. " Bye! " She watched him walk off down the road, towards his own home.

Behind Roxy, Sage sighed. " I don't know how you ever fell for a man like him, Roxanne... " She turned to face her older sister. " You would never understand, Sage. You've never been in love before like I have. " She retorted. Sage huffed, and stepped back inside. Roxy laughed, and followed her.

She pushed past Sage, heading into her room. She closed the door, and walked over to her bed, falling onto her back. She raised her hand up towards the ceiling. Sun filtering in through the open window caught on the band of silver around her finger. She sighed quietly, a small smile forming on her face. " Three months, love...then we can be together. " She murmured. She lay there for a while, then sat back up, glancing out the window. The sun was starting to set, casting an orange glow across the town. Roxy pulled down her window, and closed her curtains. She was glad she had eaten while out with Hogan, so she didn't have to leave her room again tonight. She just wanted to stay in for the night.

She went back to her bed, reaching over to her bedside table and pulling out a small box. Roxy opened up the small lid, and out poured a stack of cards. She slid four cards; aces, out of the deck, making sure to avoid the edges, and sat them aside. They weren't real cards; they were very thin metal, and designed to resemble the real aces tucked away. But they werefar from being cards. They were weapons; throwing stars in rectangle form. She always kept the four of them together, and knew exactly where she kept them in the deck, so if she ever needed them, she would always have them on her.

Roxy set to work shuffling the deck, when someone knocked on her door,the. Opened it. She looked up. Sage stood in the doorway, already dressed in her pajamas. " Mind if I join you in some card games? " She asked. The brunette nodded, and patted a spot in front of her. She walked over and sat down, legs hanging off the bed. " What game do you want to play? " Roxanne asked. Her older sister thought for a moment. " ... Still have your chips? " Roxy snorted. " Wanting to put yourself even farther in debt to me, are you? " She teased. Sage crossed her arms. " I'm in food debt. That's not that bad. Besides, I've been practicing with Viola. I have a feeling I'll finally start putting you in the ground as well. " The younger shrugged. " If you say so. " She leaned over to her bedside table and pulled out a small bag with wooden poker chips in it. " Let's play. "

Both girls had eventually passed out after playing for a few hours, lying on top of the chips and cards. Roxy's head was resting on her sisters' back, who's own head was off the bed. The lights were still on.

In the quiet of the night, a loud explosion rocked the town. The ebony sky gleamed orange as flames rose, grey smoke with it. Both sisters jerked awake, Sage almost falling off the bed in her shock.

Roxy sat up, eyes wide. Her heart was pounding. " What was that...? " She whispered. Her sister, equally as scared, grabbed her hand. " Come on. We need to get Mom and Dad. This could be bad. " Sage pulled her out of the room, almost running into their parents, who stood outside. Their mother immediately pulled them into a hug. " Oh, girls, everything is going to be okay... " She murmured. " Get outside. " Their father ordered. " Wherever this fire is, it could spread to our home quick, and I don't want any of you getting hurt. " Their mother nodded, and pulled away from her daughters, pulling them outside. Their father followed.

He stepped away, watching the smoke and bright orange flames rising in the sky. " Wouldn't surprise me if one of Jackson's boys started it...probably Daniel, trying to show off to his newest girlfriend... " He muttered. Their mother rolled her eyes. " It could have been an accident, Lane. Don't assume things. " He sighed. " I'm going to go check it out, you three get some where s- " " Dad! Look out! " Roxanne screamed, as a ball of fire was sent towards the family. Sage tackled her sister to the ground as the fireball struck, and the ground below them exploded, sending the family off in different directions. Smoke filled the air, making it hard to breathe around them.

Sage moaned, pushing herself off of her sister. Her arms hurt. She looked around, searching for her parents through the grey, ashy clouds. The blonde could not find them. She raised her head towards the sky, trying to find the source of where the explosives were coming from. What she saw made her blood run cold.

Above their small town, highlighted by the orange gleam of the fires, was a man. His skin was a greyed-tan color, speckled with small, pale marks and covered in old burn scars. She winced at those. She remembered how Abalaine, a member of their town, had gotten scars similar to that in a mining accident; fell halfway into lava, burned the whole side of her. Long, wild black hair stuck out on his head, falling over his eyes. His clothes were torn and burned, looking to desperately be in need of being replaced.

Then there were his eyes. One was blue. It was a pretty color, more on the teal side than a light indigo shade, similar to her sister's. They had a faint yellow tint to it, from the flames reaching up to his height. The other eyes, however, was a whole different story. They were pure white, lacking an iris and a pupil. It gleamed brightly, more than any normal eye should.

Realization struck Sage. She remembered that eye, from stories she'd been told as a child. Of the youngest god, and the third creator of their realm, and how he'd attempted to kill his siblings, and take their realms for himself. He had failed, and was sealed away for eternity by his eldest sibling and brother, Notch, the god of life. She knew they were more than just stories, that he truly existed, but...he should still be locked away in the nether. He could not be out. Her heart beat faster. None of them stood a chance against a god...!

Focus, Sage. Save your sister.

She pulled herself over to the brunette, who did not appear to be conscious. She shook her shoulders. Roxy moaned quietly, not getting up. " Come on, Roxs...we have to go. " Sage hissed. The younger girl did not respond. Panic began to set in, knowing her sister could have gotten badly hurt. The blonde knelt down, hauling her left arm around her shoulders. She got back to her feet, and started quickly pulling her away from the steadily moving fire, and towards the wide spruce forest close by, praying the man would not follow them.

At the edge of the woods, she looked back towards her city. It was engulfed in flames. Buildings were on the grounds, some were collapsing in on themselves, and the ones who weren't were slowly following them. She could not ignore the cries rising from the city she had loved, the people, as young as infants, who would never get their chance at life. Who had had it torn away from them in only one night.

Her parents were among them. She just knew it. Her parents, the man who was supposed to be her brother-in-law, Viola, May, Dean, everyone she'd loved and cared about. She and Roxanne should have been among them. They should be dead. She was not going to let the chance they had been giving go to waste.

She stepped into the woods, pulling her sister along with her. Their hardship was only just beginning.

" Sage...Sage, please... " A broken plea rose from a young girl. She collapsed onto the ground next to a blonde, who was laying curled on the ground. The older woman weakly raised her head to look at the brunette next to her. She gave her a tiny smile. " It's...it's going to be alright, Roxy. " She whispered.

Roxy shook her head. " No, it's not! " She cried. " Don't say it will be, because it won't! You need to get up. Please. I can't do this without you. " She reached over and shook Sage. " Please... "

Her sister stared at her a few moments longer, then broke down into a violent coughing fit. She had gotten sick over the past few months, and it had only gotten worse and worse. Roxanne had planned to stop at the next village they came across, to get medicine for her. Even without money, she would have found a way. But she had been too late. With Sage getting so bad, they had not moved as fast as they needed.

Her sister was dying because she had not gotten her the help she needed in time.

She reached out and gently rubbed her sister's back. The attack faded, and, after a few minutes, Sage raised her head to look up at her. " Stay...w-with me...? " she rasped. Roxanne shakily nodded, and took one of her pale, thin hands in her own scarred, torn ones. She gently squeezed it, tears streaming down her face. " I'll stay with you till...till you leave t-to meet Notch. I promise. "

Sage smiled again, then coughed again. She started gagging. Roxy started rubbing her back once more, a sob rising in her throat. The blonde took a deep breathe, her lungs burning. " Roxy... "

The brunette stared at her sister, blinking to clear away some of the blurriness. " Y-yes? " she whispered, clutching onto her hand even tighter than before. Her sister looked at her a few moments, before speaking. " Roxy...I l-love you. D-do...don't ever for-forget that. " Roxanne wailed quietly, raising one of her hands to her mouth to muffle the noise.

" Sage, I...I love you too. I always will, even when you're gone. " Sage's green gaze never left her sister's own soft turquoise ones. Even as they began clouding over, and her eyelids began to slide shut. Even as the light in the green orbs disappeared, and she went limp. Roxy stayed at her side, sobbing weakly. Her sister, the only person she had left of her family, was dead. She was completely and utterly alone.

She shakily pushed herself to her feet. She would not bury her sister. Not in the ground. She would not have wanted that. She reached down, grabbing her under her arms, and started stumbling back. She knew there was a river behind them. That was where Roxy needed to be.

She looked over her shoulder, and barely stopped herself from falling into the waters, which were very deep. She sniffled again, and laid her sister down. She slowly knelt next to her again. She smoothed down her torn, muddy skirt, and dusted off the top of her dress. A few grey spots appeared on the white cloth, from the tears continuously dripping down her cheeks. She gently brushed through her tangled blonde hair, getting her fingers caught in the dirty strands. She straightened her flower crown, which was missing quite a few of its flowers. It was all she could do to make her sister look pretty for the last time.

She lifted her under her shoulders again, pulling her closer to the quickly-moving waters. After a lot of manure ring and adjustments, the younger girl managed to lower her sister into the water. She watched through blurry, tear filled eyes as her sister sank in the deep blue-green waters, quickly losing sight of her best friend, her only companion. The only constant she had had left.

Roxy stayed by the waters edge, sobbing into her hands. She knew she'd follow her sister soon. Someone in her condition would never make it far. She had been lucky to survive this long. She knew it should be her sentenced to a watery grave. Sage would have had a chance at making it out alive. At having a chance at a future, if there was ever a way to stop the god. Roxanne would never get anywhere.

She stayed there for hours, only snapping out of her stupor when she felt a cold sting on her nose. She looked up, and felt more icy droplets on her face. It was raining. And, by the looks of the rapidly blackening sky, it was going to get worse.

Her time for mourning was over. She had to get to shelter, or she would be in a grave too before the day was done with.

The brunette shakily rose to her feet, grabbing the walking stick Sage had carved for her over the course of the first months of their second year traveling. She caught her balance, then began limping off, dragging behind her a twisted, burn-scarred, and mangled foot.

She would not fail the person who'd done so much so that she would have q chance at survival out here. Even if her chances were bleak. She had to try.

For Sage.

 **So...there's that. Sorry if it's not what you expected from when I came back from my break. I wanted to make more, but...I felt this was a good place to end it**

 **How often to haunted OCs have some sort of psychical Injury that actually will slow them down, or make problems? Basically never. So there, Roxy will be one of the first. It wasn't originally there, but...it is now.**

 **I got really drained, and had to take a break. Also, I got into other fandoms. I love Overwatch, started drawing my own OC more, and started watching Avatar: The last Airbender, so yeah. In love with that show, it's the best. Lloyd is quickly being replaced as small child tho. He is becoming not so small child now...**

 **Sorry for the wait ^^; I promise I'll get back to he plot next chapter. The mercenaries make another appearance there! :D**

 **We will return to our scheduled programming next chapter**

 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters!**

 **-CaptainBat**


	11. Mercenaries

**The mercs are here! They have their own little sub-plot...I'm actually a bit more excited for it that the actual GITS plot XD Lets just say, their's more ties on this team than you'd think...and the empire has affected more people than who we know now**

 **Also holy crap I'm writing speech in stories kinda correct it's a miracle**

 **(Oh look, I'm actually writing the plot again...surprising)**

The clang of swords echoed through the stone training room. Two men, one dressed in purple, with long violet hair tucked under a penguin hat, and a dark skinned man with black hair barely sticking out from under his hood, dressed in dark colors, were locked in a battle, blades clashing together.

Standing off to the side were two more men; one with reddish brown hair and green eyes, wearing blue, and a blonde man, who radiated power, dressed in orange.

His bright blue eyes watched the duo, studying there every move, trying to catch all their flaws. The other, younger man was simply watching, shouting encouragements to the dark skinned man.

The purple haired man strained as his sword met his opponents again, neither of them letting up. The dark skinned man frowned, and pushed forward with his blade. Suddenly, he brought one of his feet up, hooking it behind his knee. He pulled forward, and the purple haired man yelled as he went down, hitting the ground with a grunt.

He quickly aimed his sword to the man's throat, but not touching it. He groaned quietly.

" Okay, Cameron, you win. " he grinned up at his friend. " Good move, though. "

Cameron only gave him a small smile as an answer. He slid his sword back into its sheath, and reached out a hand to the other. He grabbed it, and let the dark skinned man pull him to his feet.

" Oh, come on, Luke, " The russet-haired man called over to the loser of the fight. " I thought you were stronger than that! "

Luke rolled his eyes. " I'm good, Travis, but Cam is still better. I have the strength, but he has the strategies. " He told him.

The man next to Travis began clapping. He pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the duo. Cameron flinched slightly, and Luke glanced at him worriedly. He never understood why Cameron was so scared of Stephen. Yes, he was a massive jerk, and one of the most hated people in the Empire, but that didn't explain why he was scared. He was brought out of his thoughts by Stephen talking.

" Not dreadful. But not great, either. Luke, your stance was off. You weren't paying attention to you enemy's movements or actions. You could have easily noticed his next move and avoided it, taking the upper hand.

" Cameron, your weight was off. You were leaning more to your right, and not keeping it balanced like you should have. Besides, Luke was going easy on you. You could easily tell he wasn't using his full strength. Honestly, boy, if you can't even take down a teammate going easy, how can you take down any target? "

Luke frowned as Cameron lowered his head, looking almost embarrassed. His gaze hardened into a glare. He opened his mouth to snap back at the older mercenary, but a new voice silenced him.

" Now, now, Stephen, set a good example for them. Supervising is more than just criticism, it's critique. Show them how to fix things. "

Each mercenary spun around towards the training room entrance, and fell to one knee in a bow. None of them would look up or rise unless ordered to to so, just as they had been trained to since they were young, or, in Luke's case, since he arrived here years ago.

" Sire. " Stephen murmured, voice losing all its hostility. No one spoke to this man with even the slightest bit of anger, or cheek. Not even Stephen, his right hand man. Not if you valued your life.

" Rise. All of you. " The man ordered. They got back to their feet, but continued facing the man, awaiting his next words. He may show up often around them, but his appearances still meant more than just stopping by to say hello.

The Emperor was who he was. Alexander Dawne, leader of the Empire for centuries, ruling with an iron fist. He was tall, tan, blonde, with piercing ice blue eyes. His face seemed permanently set with frown lines, making smiles look strange on him. He was known for being rather cruel and unforgiving, along with his harsh punishments. Luke still remembered the earlier days of the Crown issue, when they had had to burn down his home, taking the life of his wife and child. His sister-in-law and nephew. The Emperor had known they were in there, and had not cared. That was why he always tried to stay on his good side. To protect his wife and daughter.

He took notice of another form behind the Emperor. Much smaller than he was, with his head slightly bowed down, not looking any of them in the eye. Their leader looked back at him, then snapped his fingers to get his attention. His head snapped up towards him, and the Emperor motioned for him to come forward.

Once he was in view, Luke finally got a good look at him. Short and scrawny, with curly, caramel colored hair sticking out from under his hood. He had bright, magenta eyes, that still held a childish innocence that the rest of them had lost a long time ago. He noticed the boy was wearing green, with a signature peridot gemstone. Crown's old color and stone, one that they thought would not be used for a long time. His hood was lined with black fur, already suited for the colder seasons setting in. Their own would not be switched over for a while. Probably did not want to waste time switching five when they could simply do four.

The boy raising one white-green glove in a wave, his mask moving up with his smile. He said nothing. The Emperor frowned and jabbed him in the ribs. He yelped quietly.

" Well, boy, introduce yourself. " Their leader told him with a frown.

He quickly nodded. " Tal. Tal Cox, " he said with a smile. The Emperor put a hand on his shoulder. " He's your new member. " His smile never fell. The kid was far too happy for this line of work. He had probably never killed someone, like Luke had. Probably never even seen someone die. The Emperor had more than likely just seen some kid, who looked like he had a slim chance at doing what he needed, and was at a 'good age' to be trained, and taken him. Probably from his family, nonetheless. He could not be old enough to be living without his mom or dad yet. The thought made his blood boil. No child deserved to be in this life so soon.

" Well, I'll leave you boys to get aquatinted. Stephen, I'd like to speak with you. Privately. " The head mercenary nodded, and walked over to their leader. They started for the door, leaving Tal behind.

Tanner went over to Tal, and threw an arm around his shoulder. " Say, kid...is your mom by any chance Jen Cox? " He asked.

The boys expression suddenly darkened. His smile dropped. " Yes. She was, " He growled, putting emphasis on was. " Go ahead. Say what you want about her. About me. About how she's lower than you, how she's a whore, how people like her shouldn't be alive. How I never should have been born, how I'm a bastard, how I'm awful because I don't happen to know who my biological father is because my mom used to sleep around. Say it all! I've heard it before. "

Tanner's eyes widened at the outburst, and he pulled his arm away, putting his hands up. " Whoa, kid. I wasn't going to say any of that. I promise. I was just asking. " His expression softened a little. " I knew your stepfather, you know. He was a good man. He tried to help save my little boy's life, when he got sick a few years ago. The same sickness they took your mother. I...would never say something like that to her. Or about her. Especially not now, when she isn't even here to defend herself. "

Tal still looked angry, but said nothing else. Tanner sighed. " C'mon, kid. I'll show you your room. You'll be living here, am I correct? "

The younger boy eventually nodded. He smiled. " Alright. Cameron! You know the place better than me. Lead us. " The trio started out, leaving Luke behind. The purple haired man was frowning. What could Stephen and the Emperor be talking about? He thought. Especially right after introducing a new member to the team.

He quickly left out the main entrance, heading to the Emperor's study, where he always went when he needed to speak privately. Sure enough, he could hear faint voices in the room, sounding as if they were arguing.

He crept up to the door, and pressed his ear to it, listening. It was a bit muffled at first, but he eventually was able to make out words.

" ...Until we can find a replacement, Stephen. It won't be permanent, " was the first thing he heard from the Emperor. Luke frowned. Were they talking about Tal? Was he just some stand-in for someone else? Well, it did make sense, he did seem a little young.

" And then what? We can't just let him wander around, with all our secrets in his hands. Who knows what he could do with it! He could cause an uprising! We don't need that, Sire. " Stephen snapped. Luke sighed in his head. Yep, they were talking about Tal, and he did not like the direction the conversation seemed to be heading.

" Then...we take care of him. Just like we did before. Except, this silencing will be more...permanent. " Luke could practically see the Emperor's grin as he said it. His blood was running cold.

Stephen chuckled. " Oh, fun. Another poor child that will die screaming. "

" You can't do too much, Stephen. We still need to make it look like an accident, don't we? "

" Who would miss him? No one knows he even really exists around here, Sire. No one will stop and mull over the death of Tal Cox. No one will guess anything, and a possible leak will be gone. It's a win-win situation. "

Luke did not even realize he had gasped until the men inside did not speak again. Realizing he'd been caught, he quickly started moving in place, making it sound as if someone was running off, then called out. " Hey! "

The door swung open, and the Emperor stood there, glaring. He turned his gaze to Luke, staring him down. " Rain. What was that. "

Luke met his gaze. " I caught one of the servant girls listening at your door, Sire. She saw me and ran off before I could catch her, but I do not think she listened for very long. "

The Emperor frowned. " And why are you here? " He asked.

" I came to request permission to return home. Marsh and Wilson are getting the new recruit settled in, and I doubt they need my help. And Sadria is hoping I get home earlier tonight, so I can watch our daughter as she is going out tonight... "

The older man frowned again, then sighed. " Very well, Rain. But only because this will be your last night with them for some time. " His eyes snapped open wide. " What? "

The blonde smirked at him. " Didn't anyone tell you? You leave tomorrow to start hunting down Crown and his little gang. Who knows when you'll be back? " He turned on his heel and stepped back into the study, slamming the door in Luke's face. The man flinched back. Why didn't anyone tell me?

He started down the hallway, hands folded behind his back. His wife had thought he would have another few days at home before they went out hunting, that was why she was going out...he thought he would get a few more days with his wife and daughter.

What would he tell Sadria?

" It's beautiful, isn't it? "

Amethyst jumped at the sudden voice, almost dropping the wooden staff in her hands. She'd been admiring it while her newest patient was asleep, looking over the expert designs carved into it, and the amazing condition it was in. She had not expected the girl to wake up so early, not with the injuries she had.

The demigoddess set the staff back down next to the bed, and raised her gaze to the younger girl. " Very much so. Who made it? "

Her smile had a sad aura to it. " My sister. Once we discovered my foot was too badly injured for me to be able to,walk again, she carved it for me. Stayed in real good condition, too, despite what we've went through together... "

Amethyst frowned, but did not add onto that comment. Something about the way she said it made it pretty clear it was not something she felt comfortable with talking about. Especially since it seemed to involve her sister, who was not with her.

" What is your name? " She finally asked, putting her elbows on the bed and resting her head in her hands. The girl looked up at her, and the smile changed to a more relaxed, happier one.

" Roxanne Mistren. But, just call me Roxy. Roxanne is too formal, " She said. " And, I know who you are. I recognize you. You're Amethyst, aren't you? The demigodess? "

Amethyst nodded. " Sadly, yes, I am. " she reached out her hand to Roxanne. " It is very nice to meet you, Roxanne. "

The brunette took her outstretched hand in her own, and shook it. " Very nice to meet you, too, Amethyst. It's an honor. " She rolled her eyes.

" Oh, honestly, that is not necessary, Roxanne. Down here, I am just like everyone else. Fighting for a greater cause, and wanting the horrors on this land to cease, " She told her. Her eyes had visibly darkened as she spoke. " Trying to put an end to the destruction my father is causing... "

Roxanne frowned, and looked like she was about to say something, but a loud shriek from the floor below stopped her. Amethyst's eyes widened briefly, then she relaxed when she realized it was one of happiness, not of terror. There were small thuds on the stairs, and Marrion appeared, followed much more slowly by a tired looking Zayliee.

The young child rushed over to her mother, squealing. Amethyst smiled and held her arms out, letting her daughter crawl into her lap. Zayliee whined and padded over to them, flopping down on the floor next to her chair with a huff. Amethyst chuckled.

" Tired, old girl? " she whispered, reaching down to scratch her wolf between the ears. Zayliee flicked her ear, and briefly gazed up at her elder master, before closing her eyes. Marrion, tired of not having her mother's attention, reached up and waved one of her hands in front of her face. Amethyst sighed and looked down at her child, putting one of her arms around her to keep her from falling off. " Yes, Marrion? What is it? "

The child raised her other hand, holding it out to her mother. " Look! Look! " She cried.

The demigoddess peered down at the object in her daughter's hands. It was, she noticed, in fact not an object, but a necklace. Hanging from it were smooth, wooden rectangles, that got longer the closer they got to the center. It still looked to be in rather good condition, if not a bit scratched up.

" It looks beautiful, Marrion, " she complimented, taking it from her daughter's hand when she pushed it closer to her. " Here, how about we put it on y- "

" No! "

Amethyst tensed slightly. " No? Why not, darling? "

Marrion was shaking her head. " For Mommy! Not for me! "

Her eyes widened. " But, Marrion, why do you not want to wear it? "

The little girl seemed to ignore her question. " It's for you, Mommy! You wear! "

Suddenly, a moment that seemed so long ago, back when things were happy, when she did not have so many responsibilities weighing down on her returned to her mind.

" Daddy! "

" Look, Daddy! Look at what I made! "

" It looks wonderful, Amethyst. Here, why don't we put it on you? "

" No, Daddy. Not for me. For you! "

" For me? "

" Thank you, baby girl. "

" ...I love you, Daddy... "

" I love you, too, little jewel... "

Amethyst took a deep breath, trying to push the memory back as she smiled down at her daughter, praying her eyes wouldn't water. " Alright, precious, if you insist. " she murmured, as she slipped the necklace over her head.

Marrion grinned up at her, then threw her arms around her mother. " I love you, Mommy. "

Amethyst took another breath, feeling a slight burning on her face as a lone year fell. " I love you, too, Sapphire, " she whispered, as she leaned down and kissed her hair. " I love you so, so much. "

She looked up to see Roxy smiling at them, arms crossed. She sent her a small smirk. " Should you not be resting, Roxanne? "

The brunette groaned. " I've been asleep enough, Amethyst. Your potions healed me enough, and I'm not tired, " she complained.

" You wouldn't sleep for long, anyways, if you did. " The girls moved their gaze to the stairs, where Grayson stood. " I know the mercenaries. They'll be after us soon, especially after the attack on your home, Amethyst. Once their dogs get our scent, we won't be able to stay far ahead. We need to get as big of a start as we can, if we want to reach the Magic Library. We'll leave tomorrow morning, but I thought it would be good to have everyone get out and look around for a bit. "

Roxy frowned. " The Magic Library? " Grayson glanced at her, and she gave a tiny smile to him. " Ah, hi. Roxane Mistren, call me Roxy. You? "

" Grayson Crown. " Her eyes widened. " You mean, like, went-against-the-Empire, wanted-by-everyone, Grayson Crown? "

His expression hardened a bit. " Yes. " She grinned suddenly. " Awesome! About time someone put those jerks in their places! Show 'em they aren't invincible to everything. "

Grayson's mouth dropped open for a few moments, then he smirked. Amethyst rolled her eyes, and stood up. Zayliee got to her feet along with her, looking up at the woman. " Where is Drake? " She asked.

Roxy looked at her. " That cute ender dude? " Amethyst's eyes shot wide. " What? " She turned to look at the younger girl, who shrugged.

" What? Is it wrong I find him cute, from the tiny blurred glimpse I got of him? " Amethyst frowned. " I do not think you wish to be with Drake. He is irresponsible, reckless, impulsive... "

Grayson chuckled. "Are you sure you're not listing off Armen's traits? "

She suddenly tensed, and a somber expression took over her face. Grayson, realizing what he had said, frowned. " Amethyst...I'm...sorry. I didn't think- "

" It is fine. " She interrupted. " Let us just go and meet Drake. " She pushed past him, and started downstairs, Zayliee at her heels. Roxy and Grayson watched her go, with Marrion staring back at them with wide eyes, unaware why her mother was so upset, when only a few minutes earlier she had seemed so happy.

Drake was waiting by the door when she stormed out. She saw him frown, and realized she was probably radiating anger right then. She paused, taking a few deep breathes, trying to calm herself down. She still hated mentions of Armen. Marrion did not need to start asking questions just yet. She knew her father, that he would come back soon, but did not know that her father was the one terrorizing the world. Soon, but not yet.

She jumped when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She glanced over to the ender hybrid. " Amethyst,,are...you alright? " He asked.

She turned her head away from him. " I am fine. Do not concern yourself with me, mortal. "

He did not saying anything else, which she was thankful for. Zayliee nudged at her leg, and she lowered the hand not holding up Marrion, and started petting her fur.

After waiting a few moments, Grayson appeared at the door of the inn they were staying at, supporting Roxy, who was leaning on her staff. One of her feet hung dragged limply behind her. She raised her head, and smiled at Drake. " So you're the ender hybrid. "

He returned the smile. " Yeah. Drake Shotgun. "

" Roxanne Mistren. As I've said, call me Roxy, Roxanne is too formal. " She held out her hand, and they shook. " You been to the Red Keep before? "

He shook his head. " No. You? " She smirked. " Been here since yesterday. Took refuge here not long after I lost my sister. " She shrugged, then paused when she saw their expressions. " What? "

" Roxy... " Drake began. " It...hasn't been a day since we got here. It's...been almost three. You've been out for some time. "

Her eyes widened. " Seriously? That long? Doesn't feel like it... " she frowned. " That's too much time to have passed. " She looked up at them. " And you...stayed with me? You didn't leave? "

Amethyst smiled again, and reached out and placed her hand in her shoulder. " No team member gets left behind. " she murmured. Roxy looked shocked, then grinned. " Well, then, team, what are we waiting for? Let's explore! " She spun on her good heel, and started hobbling off. Grayson rolled his eyes, and the rest of the group followed after the girl.

The oil lamps burned low that night. In the small upstairs inn room, most of the inhabitants were asleep, dead to the world. But not all of them were.

Drake stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows flickering across the ceiling. No matter how badly he wanted to sleep, he just could not. He felt too hot with the blankets up, he felt too cold without them, every time he closed his eyes, all he could see and feel was a stifling darkness, that seemed to echo with the cries of lost lives, crying out to him to save them, wondering why he had let them die. The loudest of them all was the voice of Armen, calling over the others, asking him why he let him jump, why he didn't save him, why he let Him posses him. Why he has not saved him yet.

Why he was not a better brother.

He pushed himself up into a sitting position, covering his eyes as he groaned quietly. His hands slowly fell again at the sound of someone else moving. He glanced over to the bed next to his, to see Roxy sitting up, and staring at him with wide blue eyes. " Drake? " she whispered. " Are you okay? "

He frowned. " Yeah. Why wouldn't I be? "

" I've heard you moving all night. " She sighed. " Don't hide it. That only makes it worse. Talk to me. "

He pushed the blankets off his legs, and swung them off the side of the bed. She did the same, though slower than he did. " Well...where do I start? " he muttered.

" Why can't you sleep? Is there any reason? Start there. "

" Well...that's hard to explain, really. I can't explain the reason why, but...I may know the reason behind what I'm seeing. "

" You're seeing things? "

" Well, more like hearing... " he shrugged. " Every time I close my eyes, all I feel is...this crushing darkness. There's people shouting, people that I don't know...and, louder than all of them, is one of my friends, who...we lost about four years ago. Who...we thought died, but...he didn't. " He swallowed hard. Roxanne frowned.

" What happened? "

He gave her a tiny, weak smile. " You've...probably met him, already...four years ago, he jumped to his death, in an attempt to stop, well, you know him as Herobrine, I guess...we all thought he died, and then two years ago, he pops it again, using my friend's body... "

He noticed Roxy's sudden change in expression. " What's wrong? "

" ...That first village he, or they, attacked? It...was my village. "

His jaw slightly dropped at the revelation. Everything suddenly started making sense. The talk of her having traveled for a long time, the injure foot, that easily showed signs of burn scars, the paranoia when they first met her, the fear she originally had when she first saw Amethyst...it all matched up.

She held her hand out to him, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the golden band around her ring finger. She smiled sadly. " My sister didn't die in the attack...she survive up till about six or seven months ago, got really sick...but...I lost someone else, too.

My parents, we knew they died, we were there, but...I never did know what happened to my fiancé, Hogan. Though, apparently, we were the only two who survived, so...I don't look for him. " She shrugged. " It hurts, but...holding onto the past only makes it worse. We have to live in the future. " She looked up, and smiled at him.

She slid closer to the bedside table, and grabbed a small box. She opened it and dumped the contents out behind her, setting four thin rectangles off to the side. She turned around to face him, holding out a deck of cards. She grinned. " Pick a card, any card. "

Drake looked up to meet her eyes, and smirked, reaching out towards the deck.

It would be the last few hours of peace they would get until everything fell apart once more. But, for them, it was something they both needed; and they would enjoy every minute of it.

" Sir. Are you sure we should be so close? "

Luke glanced over to Tanner, who was staring at Stephen, looking nervous. The head mercenary huffed, rolling his eyes. " What's wrong, Wilson? Scared of a little fire? "

Tanner frowned, and shook his head. " Not usually, no, but when it's someone who's murdered enough people to match at least a fifth or sixth of our population, I'm going to be scared. "

" Oh, he's not interested in us, Wilson. Man up. "

Yeah, I'm sure he isn't. Only because he's trying to kill Crown and his friends right now, Luke thought. He took a moment to glance back at the boy behind him, asleep with his head resting on his back. A tiny smile formed on his face. At least one of the, was not terrified out of their mind right now. Even their horses were scared, trembling and trying to back up. He found himself having to constantly pull Tal's horse, Ameera, forward and in line with his to keep her from running off.

He squinted when he saw forms near the entrance to the Red Keep. He saw glimpses of gold, red, white, and blue, amongst the blobs, but that was all he could really make out. But it didn't take a genius to know who they were. He almost wished it was not them, that they had chosen a different way out. He watched as they took off running, back towards the forest, and away from the burning keep.

Stephen grinned, and looked back at his fellow mercenaries. " Well, boys? Looks like we have work to do. "

 **Well, this was better than i thought...still not how I'd planned, but...still, I got in everything I wanted to. The scene between Drake and Roxanne, Tal's arrival, the reference to Amethyst and Herobrine, from chapter 4...the scene at the end, with Stephen, who, by the way, I'm guessing you guys will eventually hate, I know I do...**

 **I got in everything I wanted to :)**

 **Now, I'm off to work on my own original fanfiction, which, I swear, won't get in the way of GITS. I'll try and balance updates between them**

 **Still, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, even if it's a little boring...action will return soon, trust me**

 **Also I start school in three days f me**

 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters!**

 **-CaptainBat**


	12. Flight From The Keep

**My chapter titles get less and less creative :)**  
 **Alternate title- Second chances, for reasons you shall see**

 **Mia will be coming in very, very soon. I can't wait to add her :D**  
 **Also, Roxanne is rather useless when it comes to running.**

 **Roxanne's father Lane is not the same Lane from High Seas. They are two separate people.**

* * *

" Amethyst! Get up! _Get up!_ "  
The princess' eyes fluttered tiredly. Marrion whined softly at her chest. She winced at the light, and closed them again, trying to ignore the weight on top of her. However, they just got more insistent.  
" Amethyst, you have to get up! _Now! "_ Roxy cried, shaking her shoulders harder. Her eyes opened again with a growl. " Roxanne, Marrion and I are trying to sleep! What I- "  
She froze. Zayliee was barking, something she had somehow managed to sleep through. It was loud, and sounding urgent. She never did it the way she did unless there was danger.  
Something was not right in the air.  
It hit her suddenly, like a harsh blow to the throat that left you gasping and breathless, or the shock of a good event turned sour.  
 _Dear Notch no._  
The upper inn room was filled with smoke. It filled her lungs and nose, making the air hard to breathe. She pulled Marrion closer, trying to lessen the smoke that may reach the toddler. For most, it would leave them down, coughing, unable to breathe. For her, having grown up in the Nether, where smoke was common, and having it as her natural element, it had no effect. But for Roxy, Marrion, and, possibly, Zayliee, it could prove fatal.  
She felt the heat before she saw the flames. They crawled up the inn, just outside the window. The building creaked, on the verge of toppling. She jolted up, throwing Roxy to the end of the bed. Marrion whined again. Amethyst threw her legs over the side of the bed, narrowly avoiding hitting Zayliee. The wolf stared up at her, white fur turning grey with ash. She got to her feet, clicking her tongue for her pet to fall in beside her.  
Roxy struggled to get on her feet. Amethyst quickly pulled her up, pressing her walking stick into her hands. She coughed violently, shoulders shaking. Amethyst led her over to the stairwell, which was covered up with flames. The younger brunette's eyes widened. She reached out to step onto the stairs, trying to get down before they lost their only escape.  
Beneath her foot, they collapsed.  
She shrieked. Amethyst hooked an arm around her skinny waist, pulling her back and to her side, opposite Marrion. She looked at the stairs, then moved her eyes to Zayliee. She did not look scared, as Roxy did, or even worried, like Amethyst. She simply stared back at her master, tail swishing. Her yellow eyes, reflecting in the flames, met her's.  
 _I hope I am doing the correct thing, Zayliee._  
Amethyst sighed. " Step back. "  
" Wh-why? " Roxy stammered. Her terror shone in the blue pools that were her eyes.  
" You'll see. Just get back. " She pressed Marrion into Roxy's arms. The younger woman stepped back away from Amethyst, watching her. She took a deep breath,  
The demigoddess raised her hands, eyes narrowing. The flames surrounding the stairwell flickered, and starting shrinking. The stairs lifted up, the broken shards mending back together. They seemed to reform, coming to rest in their original position.  
" What are you doing? Roxy asked.  
" Telekinesis. Or, a form of it. Powers I inherited from my father, though they are weak still. " She strained to hold them up, limbs trembling. Beads of sweat started forming on her forehead. " Go, now! Find Drake and Grayson. " she frowned. " Where have they even gone? "  
" They're helping people. " Roxy managed to get out as she limped past her. Zayliee cast one look towards Amethyst before running after them, her duty being to protect Marrion.  
Amethyst watched them leave, before lowering her hands. She took a few moments to breathe. The stairs fell back down. She could not try and raise them again anytime soon. Her energy was too the building was going to collapse. She had to get another way out.  
She turned away from the stairs, moving back to her bed. Leaning against the front was her worn leather bag, covered in soot. She knelt down, brushing off the grey coating. She frowned as it blacked her fingers and sleeve. She hauled a strap over her shoulder, wincing slightly. She had forgotten how heavy it could be. Having still-sore shoulders from the attack on her home did not help.  
Amethyst grabbed for the blade leaning close to it. It gleamed a faint orange when she picked it up. Relishing in the comfort of wielding Firesoul once again. She sighed. Whispering softly to the sword, she rose to her feet, not watching the transformation of the blade.  
The diamond blade bled into a deep purple color; obsidian. The handle faded to a gleaming, smooth white quartz. The center of the handle hollowed out, and filled with lava. Jewels lined the top of the handle, another larger gem forming in the center of the upper part. She gave it a small spin in her hands, before slipping it into its sheath on her bag.  
She made her was quickly back to the stairwell. After looking around a few moments, she realized this was her only way out. The windows were covered by flames, and too dangerous to jump out of, and this was the only set of stairs.  
She would have to trust her instincts. She pulled the other strap over her shoulder. Amethyst took a few deep breaths, grimacing at the ash and smoke that came with it. She was glad the potentially fatal air could filter through her lungs and leave her unharmed.  
Lining herself up with the stairwell, she exhaled. Amethyst back up a few steps, then ousted herself forward, breaking into a sprint. Her muscles screamed their exhaustion. Her feet left the wooden floor. She closed her eyes. She had done this before. She could do it again.  
She was falling. _Please, please, do not let me fail..._ she pleaded in her mind. _Please..._  
Air rushed up around her, showing she was still falling. The ground, she knew, was close. She took a sharp breath. It was not going to work.  
She felt the sudden change. The rush became a soft breeze, and the falling sensation became a feeling barely there. She cracked open one eye. She was floating, gently moving towards the ground. The demigoddess' eyes widened. She had done it!  
Amethyst let out a sigh of relief, but quickly felt her remaining energy draining away. Her feet met the ashy floor once more. She instantly doubled over, gasping. Her arms and legs shook with exhaustion, making standing a difficulty.  
She managed to push herself back up after a few heartbeats. She took a few slow breaths, walking cautiously in case she fell. The floor above her creaked, showing it would not hold up much longer. She looked up at it, worry in her eyes, before rushing as quickly as she could out of the inn.  
Her eyes widened at the destruction of the Red Keep. It was in ruins. Flames blazed on all sides of her. The building around her had fallen to pieces. Walls crumbled and collapsed in on themselves, the stone roofs fallen in and in pieces. The wood still gleamed from the flames, burning away to ash. The sidewalks were littered with smoldering planks and shards of glass from the shattered windows. It was almost unrecognizable from what it had been when they had arrived.  
The inn groaned, and she jumped, moving away from it. She watched as the top floor fell in, breaking through the top of the ground level. Large clouds of soot rose up with it, and the flames leaped higher into the sky. Her eyes stared at it in shock. They could have been stuck in there. They could have went down with that. They could have died.  
She shakily moved away. Her gaze lifted towards the sky.. She needed to find the others, but first...she wanted to know where the man behind it all was at.  
It did not take long to spot him. He was floating in the air, continuing to keep the fires roaring. He looked worse than the last time she had send him, more battered and messy. He was a good distance away from her, so she doubted she would be in much danger, for now, but it did little to soothe her. As long as he remained around, no one was safe, not even the woman who was his daughter.  
Amethyst started down the gravel walkways. " Roxanne? " She called. There was no reply. _Strange,_ she thought. _With her foot, she could not have gotten far..._  
" Drake? Grayson? " Nothing. " Zayliee? " Again, no answer. There was no footsteps, no shouts to answer her calls. She began to get a tad worried. For all she knew, they could be trapped beneath a fallen building, crushed to death. They could only be corpses now, nothing left of them.  
Her eyes widened at the thought, and she shook her head. No. She would not think about that. She would not think about them potentially having been killed. She refused to.  
She moved her gaze around the buildings around her. She paused at a faint noise. " Hello? " She called. There was a pause, then the noise came again. She quickly sped up, running towards the source.  
Amethyst came to a stop outside one of the destroyed shops. She stepped closer, looking around, and her eyes widened at what she saw. Trapped beneath one of the fallen walls was one of the paganum that lived in the Red Keep. She gasped quietly, momentarily startled by it, then sprinted over.  
Halfway to them, they began to make what sounded like panicked cries. She stopped moving. She stared at them a few moments, before the realization hit her. It was her eyes. They were frightened of her eyes.  
She reached up, and tugged her hood down, along with adjusting her bangs, to hide the gleaming eyes. She raised her hands, showing peace. The cries quieted down. She walked closer to them, waiting for any more noises. No more came.  
The demigoddess knelt next to the wall, looking for a way to lift it up. She felt along the bottom, frowning when she saw it pressed into the ground where she knelt. She shuffled along, feeling at the edges for where she could hook her fingers under.  
She eventually found a a lot where she could just barely wedge her fingers under. She lowered her other hand, and slid them both underneath the wall as best she could. It refused to budge, and she killed her hands away with a hiss, looking at the red marks lining them now.  
She tried again, moving down a little farther and trying to push her fingers father. She strained, pulling up on the wall, groaning as she managed to slightly lift it up. She pushed it higher, arms shaking violently. She managed to move herself around so she could put both palms flat on the wall, and use her back to help push it.  
The paganum scrambled to get up. She noticed they did not seem to have very many visible injuries, surprisingly. They quickly made a move to get away from the wreckage, not looking back to Amethyst.  
She whined and quickly moved away from the wall, letting it fall back to the ground. Ash and small sparks exploded around her, and she pulled her cloak out of the way. She turned to watch the paganum leave. She hoped they were the only one trapped...she did not think she would have the strength to try again.  
 _Still playing hero, Amethyst?_  
The brunette's eyes shot wide. She looked around wildly. There was no one else around no, especially not him. No way for him to be speaking to her. His voice seemed to echo, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. It rang clear, as if he stood right next to her, but she was alone.  
 _Are you forgetting, Amethyst? I'm a god. This is easy._  
Her eyes narrowed. She had forgotten his ability to see into her head, something that was still new to her. Damn him. " What do you want, Father? " she hissed.  
 _Does there have to be a reason for me to want to speak to my child?_  
" Yes. "  
Herobrine tsked. _What a shame you think that, child. You look lonely. I'm just trying to give you some company._  
Her anger flared. " You are attacking innocent people! You are killing people who never did anything to you! Destroying their homes, destroying their lives, destroying everything! Yet you have the nerve to try and strike up a friendly, casual conversation with me? You disgust me! "  
 _Temper, Amethyst. Calm yourself. Alister would not approve of this behavior, now would he? Act like he would want you to. I would have for anything to get worse, now..._  
" How dare you threaten lives over your own silly little grudge against Uncle! And how dare you bring Alister into this! "  
 _You think I wanted this? I never did! But someone has to pay the price for what your uncle did to me!_  
" So you take it out on innocents? Mortals who never did anything to you, who you simply kill for existing? Is that it? "  
 _It's far more complicated than that, child._  
" How complicated? If you can act on it, you can explain it! "  
 _Sorry, Amethyst, but there's no time for me to explain._  
" What do you mean? "  
A voice rose up. " Amethyst! "  
Amethyst suddenly felt herself getting dizzy. Her vision blurred. Her limbs felt heavy all of a sudden. She staggered on her feet, raising a shaking hand to her head. Her legs felt like they would break under her at any moment,  
The shout came again. " Amethyst! "  
 _I'm sorry, little Jewel._  
 _I love you._  
She toppled forward. Solid arms wrapped around her, stopping her from falling to the gravel path below. She was pulled back to someone's chest, then her vision went black.

* * *

 _Amethyst_...a voice called softly.  
 _Amethyst, wake up._  
 _Amethyst._  
 _Amethyst!_  
 _Wake up!_  
Amethyst's eyes flickered open. She moaned softly, letting then fall closed again. She felt herself moving. Her arms were draped over something, or someone. She felt the person carrying her pause.  
" Really? She chooses _now_ to wake up? " Came a fuzzy-sounding complaint. She recognized the voice. _Roxanne...?_  
Her feet hit the ground, and she was gently sat down. Her eyes opened once more, and they met Grayson's green ones. " Amethyst? Are you with us? " He asked. She blinked a few times, staring at him. " ...What happened? " she murmured. Were they not just at the Red Keep, fighting her father? Where were they?  
 _Father_. The events that she had last experienced played over in her mind. What had he meant, more complicated? How complicated could it possibly be? Why had he chosen then to talk to her?  
She jumped slightly as new weights hit her, but smiled when she felt a tongue on her cheek. Zayliee. She raised a hand and weakly rubbed the wolf between the ears. At her other side, Marrion clung tightly to her. She hooked her free arm around the young girl, pulling her up into her lap. She noticed something new hung around her neck, but she couldn't quite make it out then.  
" We aren't sure, " Drake said. She looked up to the ended hybrid. She noticed his clothes looked slightly burned, and ashy. In fact, all of them looked to not be in good shape. She frowned. The man continued. " Roxy came to meet up with us, with Marrion and Zayliee, but you weren't with them...she told us you'd stayed behind, to help them get out. Grayson went off looking for you, with Zayliee...he found you yelling at, well, nothing. You suddenly passed out, and he caught you. He carried you out of the city. "  
She frowned as she looked around. They were on a bridge, that looked slightly broken down. Scattered around it were the bodies of a horde of zombies, wearing a small amount of armor. She frowned again. " I see...you have been busy... " She muttered.  
" Yeah. We have been. " Drake looked back towards the corpses.  
" Why'd you choose now to wake up? " Roxy spoke up. Amethyst looked at her.  
" I..I do not know...I just...heard someone shouting at me to wake up, and... " She closed her eyes, trying to remember. Grayson knelt next to her. " Don't push yourself to remember, Amethyst. You don't need to remember. "  
Amethyst looked up at them. " This...does not look like anything near the red keep. " She frowned. " Where...are we? "  
Drake shrugged. " We...don't know. "  
" How...how long has it been? "  
Grayson, Roxy, and Drake shared a look. " Amethyst... " Roxy began. " You...you've been unconscious for about two weeks. "  
Her eyes widened. _Two weeks?_  
" Look, we don't have time to talk over long she's been unconscious for. " Grayson said. He looked at Amethyst. " Can you stand? "  
She nodded, and started pushing herself up. Zayliee nudged her, supporting her as she shakily rose back to her feet. She adjusted Marrion on her hip. " Why so urgent, Grayson? " She asked.  
" The mercenaries can't be far behind us. The Emperor wouldn't let them stay at home very long, not with the chance of our trail running cold. We can't stay in one spot too long. We risk the dogs catching up. "  
" They have dogs? " Roxy asked. He nodded.  
" Not even really dogs anymore...they're bred and raised to hunt, and to hurt. They don't know what care, or love is. All they know is how to track down the targets that are just destined to die. "  
Amethyst frowned, and looked down to Zayliee, sitting obediently by her side. She could not imagine any creature being treated like she could imagine the Empire wolves were. They needed respect, love, and patience, not harshness, cruel treatment. Zayliee looked back up at her, tail swishing. She smiled. " Yes. Let us get moving. " _I do not want them around my wolf_.  
" Just what I was thinking, " Roxy said. " I don't want to be caught out if they do catch up. "  
Grayson nodded. " Let's get across, then. Mind the bodies, though. "  
" What did you even do? " Amethyst questioned.  
" They came out of nowhere. We had to kill them all right as you woke up. "  
" Thanks for that, " Roxy put in. " Waking up right after we didn't need you anymore. "  
Marrion giggled. Amethyst huffed, rolling her eyes. " Come on, you two, " Grayson told them. He had already started walking ahead of them with Drake. " Let's get going. "  
Both women glanced at one, before chuckling and following after them.  
" So, Roxy... " Grayson began. They had been walking for a short while, leaving the bridge and zombies behind above them. Up until now, they had all been quiet. The blonde had been the first to break the silence. " Tell us more about you, we hardly know anything still. "  
Roxy chuckled at the question. " Oh, where do I even begin... "  
" Tell us more about your family. " Amethyst said.  
Roxy tensed slightly, then nodded. " Well, I was born and raised in Lanercoast, a village quite a few miles from the Empire, if that gives you an idea of how far I've come. It was my mom, Eloise, my dad, Titan, thou he preferred his idle name, Lane, and my sister, Sage. "  
A small, fond smile formed on her face. " She was the one who carved my staff for me... " she murmured, running her fingers over the designs.  
Roxy then sighed." Then, there...was also my... " She swallowed hard. " My fiancé, Hogan. He...he got killed in the attack."  
Amethyst's face fell at the words. " Oh, Roxanne... " she whispered, placing one of her calloused hands on the younger's shoulder, hoping to give her what little support she could. She knew what it was like to lose someone you loved, and it was not easy. Then again, one of the men she loved had done this to the poor girl.  
The thought hit her again as she wondered how she could even stand to be around her. She was part of the people who had destroyed her entire life.  
The brunette continued talking, as if Amethyst had not even moved. " It's...been a long time, but... " She exhaled again. " I can't help but miss him, y'know? I'm fine with moving in, finding someone else now...but half the reason I've fought this long is because of him. I'm trying to make sure his death wasn't meaningless.  
" That I can remember him as someone I'm fighting for. Him and my parents. " She went silent again. Marrion looked up at her, blue-gold eyes wide. " You loved them? "  
Roxy gave a weak snort, and ruffled the child's hair. " Yeah. I did, kiddo. "  
Marrion looked away. " I don't have a daddy, " she said. " But it's okay. Mama says he loves me! " Though it showed in her voice, the little girl did not seem too certain about it.  
" And he does, " Drake was quick to assure her, looking over his shoulder. " He loves you very, very much, Marrion. You will meet him one day. We'll make sure of that. "  
Marrion moved her gaze to Amethyst. " Mama...where did Daddy go? "  
Amethyst gave her a half-smile. She did not want to talk about the man she loved, but it was only fair to her daughter to know a little. " Well, Marrion, your father...before you were born, had to make a decision, to keep us all safe...I was not there for it, but...he chose to put a stop to a very, very bad evil. He did it so Zayliee, and Drake, and Grayson, and myself, and so many others would be okay. He did it so you, " she kissed to nuzzle her daughter's hair, " would be okay. He loves you, and is watching over you, until he can come back to us. "  
Marrion frowned. " But I wanna meet him now, Mama! "  
" I know you do, Sapphire, and he wants to meet you as well. But you have to be patient. "  
" Mama...what's patient mean? "  
" Waiting, beloved. "  
Marrion whined. " But I hate waiting! "  
The older Minecraftians laughed. Amethyst gently kissed her daughter's forehead. " I know you do. But you must, alright? "  
She sighed. " Okay, Mama... " The little girl started kicking her legs, asking to be put down. Amethyst set her next to Zayliee, who bumped her nose to Marrion's cheek. She giggled, and patted Zayliee's head, a little harder than nessesary. Amethyst frowned. " Be gentle with her, Marrion. " She scolded.  
Zayliee looked up at Amethyst with a look in her eyes that seemed to speak her disbelief. Drake voiced it for her. " If the old girl has handled, what, four attacks from Him, one major attack with your home army, and however long she had been out on her own before you found her, I think she can handle a four year old. "  
Amethyst simply snorted. None of them had brought up any more mention of Roxy's family, or anything of her past, knowing it would be bad for her. Amethyst could only guess that Marrion's interruption had been something she had desperately needed, to escape the memories bound to come back to hit her.  
She noticed Zayliee's demeanor had changed. She had started sniffing the air more, lips occasionally curling back into a snarl, soft growls rising in her throat. Her eyes were narrowed, only small yellow slits. She watched the beat worriedly. She only got like this if something dangerous was around. She gently patted the wolf's head, shushing her as she growled once more. " Zayliee, what is wrong? " She tried to soothe her companion with her petting, but she did not even respond to it.  
Another growl left Zayliee, louder than the previous one. It caught the attention of the others, who watched her worriedly. Amethyst motioned for Grayson to pick up Marrion, who squeaked when she was suddenly swept off her feet. Zayliee came to a halt, nostrils flared and head raised towards the sky. Amethyst stopped next to her, and waved her hand. " Back away from her. "  
She turned her attention to the wolf, gently cuffing her ears.  
" Zayliee. Stop. We have to keep moving. "  
Zayliee gave no sign she had heard the demigoddess. Amethyst frowned, and snapped her fingers in front of her face. Zayliee twisted to face her, snarling. Her eyes were wild, not showing restraint. Just animalistic instinct.  
Amethyst stepped back, then her eyes narrowed. She quickly struck Zayliee again, making her lower her head.  
" Zayliee! " She ordered. " Calm down. Now! "  
Zayliee stayed put for a few moments, before looking up to her master again. She was no longer growling. Amethyst sighed, and gently ran her fingers through her long white and black fur. " I am sorry, darling... " she murmurred, kneeling next to her. Zayliee leaned forward, and bumped her nose to Amethyst's, before moving closer and licking her cheek. Amethyst smiled and briefly hugged the wolf's neck.  
" Amethyst...what did she just do? " Roxy asked, eyes wide.  
" I...am not sure. She has only ever did that when we went into the forest back at Skyrise...I see no reason for her wild side to have shown. Especially after so long... "  
" What are times it would show up? " Grayson questioned.  
" Occasionally when in close proximity to other packs, she would start reacting similar, as she never had a liking for other wolves. But...I have not seen any other wolves... "  
She flinched as something cold landed on her nose. She looked up, and promptly got struck in the eye with a similar cold droplet. She hissed. " Rain. "  
Drake frowned, yelping as the water hit his own skin. He looked at the others, trying not to show his discomfort. " Anyone else getting bad vibes? First the zombies attack, next Zayliee panics, now it's raining... "  
" We...should probably keep moving. " Grayson spoke, sounding uncertain. " Don't know what could be waiting around, and standing out in the open isn't a very smart plan. "  
Amethyst nodded, and rose back to her feet. Zayliee fell into step next to her, still cautiously sniffing the air every few moments. She felt someone still watching them, and saw Roxy was staring at them. She met her gaze, and the younger looked away awkwardly. Amethyst frowned, but did not say anything.  
The rain increased.  
They made it to the edge of the hill they were on. Drake stared down at the water below and grimaced. Grayson was already working his way down. Marrion was clutched closer to him as he cautiously stepped from one edge to the next, trying not to stare too much at the drop. Roxy looked over to Drake. " I- " she cut off. " There's no way I'm getting across that river. Let alone climb down to begin with. "  
" Don't worry. " He placed a hand on her shoulder. " I'll carry you down, okay? We can do this together. " He looked to Amethyst.  
" You can get Zayliee down fine yourself, can't you? "  
She nodded. " She is not as heavy as she looks. At least, not for me. "  
He turned away from her again, and knelt down slightly. Roxy pulled herself onto his back. He stood back up, grabbing onto one of her legs with one hand, and started down the side of the hill. Amethyst could tell he was uncomfortable with the height, and the water below. As if a reminder of what she would soon be feeling, a raindrop landed on her nose, stinging her skin. She hissed.  
She followed after them. The demigoddess clutched close to the wall, feeling the ground below her starting to get slick, and muddy. She stepped to the side as best she could, and started easing Zayliee down next to her. The wolf's paws scrabbled on the ground, whining as her paws started to sink.  
They continued working their way down. She saw Grayson already swimming across to the other side, while Drake tried to find a way to get both him and Roxy in without accidentally dunking her.  
She yelled as mud splashed over her cloak, and looked down to see Zayliee and leaped down beside her, sending mud flying. The beat snarled softly at the brown on her fur, and shook herself, sending more in Amethyst's direction. She shrieked, shielding her face. " Zayliee! Not now. "  
There was a splash below, and she saw Drake and Roxy were in the water. She could hear Drake complaining, and Roxy putting in her own quips at the man's expense. She rolled her eyes. She sometimes wondered if they would soon have another Armen and her amongst them. Her expression soured. No. No one deserved what she and Armen had suffered through together. Especially not Drake and Roxy, who had both suffered so much already in their short lives.  
She lowered herself down to the grass next to the river. She looked at Zayliee. " Can you swim across in your own, girl? " Zayliee whined in reply, nosing at the bottom of her cloak. She sighed softly and nodded. " Then let us get this over with. "  
The white wolf leaped in almost instantly. Amethyst jumped back, shielding herself from the large spray that came with it. She lowered her arms after a moment, and watched as Zayliee started swimming across. She took a few deep breaths. She would have to go in eventually. They needed to keep moving, and her issues with water could not slow them down.  
She reached down to the golden clasps holding her cloak together. She unhooked them, letting the cloak fall free around her. She slipped it off, and tied the sleeves around her waist. She shivered at the cool air. Amethyst stepped close to the water, watching it swirl and move away from her, carrying bits from upstream with it. With one last shaky breath, she lowered herself down into the river.  
She bit her tongue hard as the burn set in. It spread across her skin, sending waves of agony through her. She continued moving into the water, and could not hold back a gasp as her legs were fully submerged.  
" Amethyst! " Grayson yelled. " Are you alright? "  
" I-I am fine! " She yelled. " Just...give me a moment! " She got the rest of her body into the water, and, though her body screamed in pain, she started swimming across. Was this what it felt like to be burned? What did water feel like to her mortal friends? Why did it hurt so badly? All those questions went through her mind as she swam. She gagged and started coughing violently as water splashed up, getting in her mouth and down her throat. She felt sick, like she was on the verge of vomiting.  
Once she got close to the other side, Grayson stretched a hand out to her. She reached up and took it. With the help of Drake, he pulled her out of the water. She collapsed onto the ground, coughing. Roxy knelt next to her and rubbed her back. Marrion watched her worriedly. " Mama? "  
Amethyst tried to sit up, then shivered, going back down. " G-give me a moment... " she whispered.  
" Amethyst, what's wrong? " Roxy asked fearfully.  
" Nether begins...are pained by water, " she stopped to cough. " We...cannot have prolonged exposure to it...even I, as a half mortal, suffer from it...I simply need...to let...let the nausea and burning pass. "  
Zayliee padded over, and laid next to Amethyst, nudging her cheek with her nose. Amethyst looked in at the wolf, and let a small smile grace her face. She turned away, and started coughing again. She stayed that way for a few minutes longer, until she was able to shakily pull herself back onto her feet.  
Grayson passed Marrion back over to her. She instantly reached out to grab onto her mother, whining at the chill. She gave the young child a weak smile, and pulled to her chest. " Once this rain lets up, " she whispered to her, " I will have a fire to start for us, alright? Then you will not be cold anymore. " Marrion nodded, and pressed closed to her. Amethyst ran her fingers through her hair. She hoped the could would not make anyone sick. She doubted she had enough potions lot to handle sickness, and Grayson did not have too many, either. They needed them for facing off against Herobrine, not for dealing with illness.  
The small group turned towards the path, and started down, towards the woods once more. None of them noticed the man waiting at the start of the trees for them. But they did notice one thing. The wolves.  
Zayliee suddenly jerked back away from them, letting loose a bloodcurdling howl as she took off towards the trees.  
" Zayliee! " Amethyst shouted, making to run after her.  
She froze when she saw the white wolf lunged towards another shape, this one grey, and larger. The two locked into a wrestling match, rolling around in the. Following the first were three more wolves, all grey, and all with a glint in their eyes. Before they could land on Zayliee, she wriggled her way away from the lead wolf, and too, off farther into the forest, away from the Minecraftians.  
 _Zayliee was right_ , Amethyst thought. _There were wolves around_. _She had tried to warn us, and we did not listen_. She froze. _But, then that means..._  
Drake grunted as an arrow came out of seemingly nowhere, striking him in the leg. He stumbled back, towards the hills behind him. Grayson turned in the direction the arrow came from. His eyes narrowed when he saw the suit of armor, accented with amethyst gemstones, and familiar wild, violet hair.  
Amethyst, having not noticed the man yet, was too focused on Zayliee, or who still had pain blurring her vision, jerked around to follow their gazes. She pushed Marrion to Roxy, and made a motion for them to back up. She tried to ignite her hands, but it only formed a small flame, then sputtered out. Her eyes widened. _Oh, dear Notch, I do not have time for this_...  
" Grayson, look out! " Drake shouted. Grayson jumped back as a man dropped down, and rushed towards him. His bow was gone, and had been replaced by a sword. Amethyst raised her hand back to her own blade, pulling it out. It glimmered and transformed in her grasp. Roxy watched it with wide eyes. " Whoa... " She whispered, staring at the new blade.  
Amethyst ignore her. She had other things to worry over. She rushed towards them, jumping between Grayson and the mercenary just as he was about to bring his sword down on the blonde. She brought her own blade up. It met his with a loud clang.  
The demigoddess strained to hold it against the man. She was a trained sword fighter, with incredible strength, but none of that mattered when she was so drained from the water. The man pushed back, managing to start moving Amethyst backwards. She groaned, pressing forward. Her eyes opened. She never realized she had closed them.  
They met a pair of orange and blue ones. She gasped softly. Her grip loosened, and the mercenary shoved her hard. She toppled backwards, landing on the ground. He stared down at her, looking worried for her, but trying his hardest to hide it. He raised his sword.  
" Leave her alone! " Grayson shouted as lunged at him, striking him hard in the face with his elbow, then hitting him in the stomach with the hilt of his sword.  
He grunted as he was struck, stumbling back and away from the duo. Grayson snarled, " You two-faced traitor, first you kill my wife, now you're trying to kill my friends...! " Before rushing him once more.  
The two locked into a battle again, Amethyst too frozen to keep fighting, or to get up. She barely registered it when Luke managed to shove Grayson back into the river. She barely felt the pain the rain inflicted on her. Never heard the loud howls rising from the wolves. All she could think of right then and there was the fact that she was fighting someone she loved, someone she cared about.  
Someone who was trying to kill them.  
She leg out a startled gasp as she was thrown backwards. Her body hit the ground again, rolling across it, but thankfully not falling into the water. She pushed herself shakily up into a kneeling position, just in time to see the man rise into the air, then be sent flying in the opposite direction to them. Her eyes widened once more. " Luke! " she cried.  
She staggered to her feet. She did not even take time to see where the others were. She rushed towards where the mercenary had went, eyes wide. " Amethyst! " Drake shouted after her. She ignored him, as she had Roxy. She had to find Luke.  
She quickly leaped up the hill Luke had disappeared behind. Rushing down it, she quickly spotted where Luke had fallen. She made her way over, looking concerned.  
He, thankfully, was not awake, and was still breathing. She noticed his leg looked strange beneath his boot, so she slipped it off to check. His left ankle was bent awkwardly, and looked swollen. She flashed back to the Arctic rig, when she had fallen and broken her own ankle. She winced, feeling pity for her friend. It was an awful pain, and would make it impossible for him to get away unless his fellow mercenaries came after him.  
She checked over the rest of his body. Nothing else seemed broken, but he was bruised. His hair was turning a faint crimson color, along with his hat. She sat him up, and gently pulled off the penguin hat. Amethyst felt around his head, until her hand came back wet. She cringed and wiped the blood off on the grass.  
The injury did not look too bad, but she did not want to take any chances, especially with how much it seemed to be slid her bag off her shoulders, and unlatched it. She felt around inside, and pulled out a small amount of bandages. She unraveled them, and started wrapping them around his forehead.  
" Amethyst, what are you doing? "  
She jerked up and looked behind her, at Grayson walking up. She glared.  
" Helping a man, " she snapped.  
" He doesn't deserve help. "  
" Everyone deserves help! " She suddenly shouted. His eyes narrowed, but he did not fight her on it. She turned back to the mercenary, tying the ends of the bandage together. She stared down at him, eyes sad. Amethyst turned away, and reached back into her bag. She pulled out a small folded slip of paper. She had write it, back at the inn, just in case she ever met the man again. Now seemed like a good time to leave it with him. She slipped the note in one of the small pouches on his belt. Hopefully he would see it.  
She rose back to her feet, sliding her bag back onto her shoulders. She turned to look at Grayson. " The others? "  
" Back waiting for us. Come on. "  
They started back to the group. When they got back, she saw Roxy heliport Drake limo over towards the shelter of a tree. Amethyst frowned, and moved over to them. " Is he alright? "  
" He will, once he gets healing. " Roxy assured her. She nodded. The brunette made to reach for her daughter.  
" Hopefully, we can do that s- "  
A loud, agonized howl rang through the forest. Amethyst felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise at the noise. Her blood ran cold, and her limbs froze. _No._  
" _Zayliee_! " She shrieked, instantly spinning on her heels and sprinting in the direction her wolf has went off to. Another loud cry came, sounding weaker than before.  
She heard Grayson in the distance, yelling at the others, " Dammit! She needs to stop running off! _Amethyst_! "  
" Hold on, Zayliee! " She yelled, blocking out the blonde. Tears started blurring her vision. This was her closest friend, her longtime companion. She would not let these wolves take her Zayliee from her.  
She burst from the trees, and felt her entire body freeze at the sight before her. Zayliee was sprawled out on her back, snarling weakly, then whining, as she was overpowered again and again by the outnumbering, bloodthirsty Empire wolves. Blood covered the once green clearing, staining the plants and running away with the water. Zayliee's once white fur was now turned pink from the massive wounds her body had received. Amethyst felt her blood boil as one of the Empire wolves curled their lips back, aiming a bite straight for an uninjured area of Zayliee's chest.  
Amethyst shrieked, and ran forward, blade clutched so tightly in her fingers she thought she would break the handle. The wolves looked up at her, and ,apes back, growling and barking. They formed a small circle around her and Zayliee. Amethyst watched them, anger rising with ever passing moment, then she shrieked again. A large circle of fire erupted around her, blocking the wolves out.  
They gave cries of terror, stumbling and backing away from the sudden fire, seemingly untouched by the rain. She raised the fire higher. They quickly rushed out and away from them, tails between their legs. She let out an angry huff of air. The fire died around her, sending them back into the darkness of the night.  
She took a few deep breaths, then her eyes widened. Zayliee. She turned around and rushed over to the beast's side. Zayliee looked up at her and whined softly, giving her tail a weak thump. Amethyst gently patted her head, smoothing down the wet fur. Her hand came away red. She swallowed down a choked sob. For the second time that night, she dropped her bag, and started searching.  
She pulled out a half-empty bottle of healing potion. She lightly tapped on the wolf's muzzle, telling her to open it. She did so, though it obviously pained her. Amethyst uncorked it, and poured what was left into her mouth. She tried not to look at the wounds left behind. They would scar. She knew they would. She could see them them.  
She began looking through her items for more gauze. After some time, she managed to find some. She started covering the worst of her injuries, wiping away what blood she could. She ignored the others as they came up. She needed to help Zayliee. She was her top priority.  
" Mama? "  
Amethyst turned to look at her daughter. " Yes, Marrion? "  
" Is Zay gonna be okay? "  
She paused. I-I do not know, Sapphire. " She looked back to Roxy. " Let her walk. Yiummay need to help Grayson with Drake. "  
She turned back to her wolf, and, whispering apologies, hooked her arms under her legs, and started lifting her up. Zayliee whined, and she flinched. She managed to lift her up and over her shoulders, resting her on top of them. She turned to look at her friends. " We need to get moving. Before the rest of the mercenaries show. "  
Grayson nodded. " We'll keep following the path, see where it takes us. We're bound to find a cave, or...or _something_ before long. "  
Amethyst did not respond, just turned away and started walking. Marrion ran over to her mother's side, leaving the others to follow behind.  
As they made their way along, she heard hooves in the distance. She knew Luke would be found, and helped.  
She only hoped he would discover her note, before anything could get worse between them.  
After a long walk through the pouring rain, they had finally made a discovery. An old, broken down home tucked away in the trees and undergrowth. There were chunks missing in the wall, and a section of the roof by the entrance way was missing. Vines hung around, tangling in the wood and broke areas. But it would have to do. It was the best they could find for a temporary shelter.

* * *

A small fire warmed the room. They were sat around it, eating. Amethyst was gently petting Zayliee between the ears. She was asleep next to her, with fresh bandages wrapped around the slowly healing wounds. An abandoned potion bottle sat next to Drake, who's own leg was wrapped up in white.  
Marrion sat in her mother's lap, eating away obliviously. Roxy rested next to Drake, fussing over him. He was trying to convince her he was okay, but she would not listen. Grayson was beside Amethyst, staring absentmindedly into the fire. He looked more distant than usual. Amethyst glanced at him. She knew he was not the same as he had been prior to his wife and son's death, but she had never seen him like this. She wondered how long it had been since he had actually spoken to Luke, let alone fight him.  
Grayson then sighed, looking up at them. " We need to figure out sleeping arrangements. "  
" Well, I know already that Drake and Zayliee will get the bed if this house has one, " Amethyst muttered.  
" I'm sure it does. We just need to find it. " He stood up. " Amethyst, help me look. "  
The demigoddess glared at him after the demand, but rose anyways, setting Marrion down. The two started off into the house to search.  
When they came back, they came with the news that there were two rooms, each containing a single bed. They'd decided that Drake and Zayliee would share one together, to keep them close, but did could not decide who would get the second.  
After a while of arguing, Amethyst crossed her arms. " Grayson will get it. There, settled. "  
Grayson's eyes widened. " Me? I'm the only one here who doesn't need it! "  
" Yes you do, Grayson. Just take it. Please? "  
Grayson frowned, then exhaled in defeat. " Fine. I'll take it. But next time, both of you girls get first pick of sleeping options. " He turned away. " I'll get Drake and Zayliee to the room, alright? You two keep resting. "  
The two women nodded, and turned back to the fire. Grayson walked over to Drake, to help him to his feet, and to help him limp over to the bedroom.  
Amethyst watched them leave, then turned back to Marrion. She finally took time to see what was around her daughter's neck.  
The Aero Amulet. The Amulet that deflected arrows. Her Amulet.  
Her eyes widened. Drake could have kept it himself, as she had left it to him. He could have kept it, and stopped himself from getting shot as he had. But the ended hybrid had given it to her child, to protect her. Given up his own safety for her.  
A small smile formed on her face. Maybe they had not changed as much as she thought.  
It would be a long night. But they would be prepared for what was to come.

There was a haze to his vision as he woke. The sky was still dark, twinkling with stars. The moon shone bright, landing on the white, bandaged wolf curled up next to him, back to him. Their fur gleamed silver, hiding the forming scars barely visible.  
His hand grasped at the sword resting at the side of his bed. One feeling ran through him, one thought he needed to act on.  
There were enemies around. They had to die.  
He started across the old, cracking floor. The wold creaked beneath his feet. He felt small stabs at the bottoms of the , but he paid them no mind. He would not until they were dead.  
He opened the door leading into the attached room. It squeaked as it was opened. His eyes fell on the room's only inhabiter, a blonde man who looked far too aged for what he could guess he was. His grip on the sword tightened. He was the most dangerous. After him, the brunette girl with the mangled foot. They would only get in the way of the plans laid out.  
He crept closer, trying to make his steps lighter. He reached the bedside, and raised his sword. He hated to make it quick, but it would have to do. He did not have time to waste.  
A pair of green eyes opened, then shot wide when they saw their friend. " Drake? "  
The haze disappeared. He stumbled back, confused. " Grayson? Wh-what's going...? " He looked from the sword, to his friend, then at the open door. He then returned to Grayson. " What happened...? "  
Footsteps rushed in behind them, and both their heads snapped around to see A,ethyst standing there,staring at them with wide eyes. Firesoul was clasped between her finger, raised defensively. She opened her mouth to speak, then froze, gasping softly.  
" Amethyst, what's wrong? " Drake asked.  
" Drake... " Grayson began. The ended moved his eyes back to him. " Why is your eye glowing? "

* * *

 **I wanted to add more, to make up for my absence, but...I couldn't think of anything else.**  
 **Hopefully this is alright, I tried to add more plot, and actual canon events**

 **What do you think Luke's gonna do? Is he gonna be double agent man, or will he even find the note at all?**  
 **(You probably already know what he'll do)**  
 **(You probably do)**

 **I got into TF2. I have fanfiction ideas. Help me.**

 **ALSO! VERY IMPORTANT!**  
 **I have a new Haunted story uploaded! It's called High Seas, and is a pirate AU I'm doing with a friend of mine**  
 **More info in the actual story**  
 **I sugges you check it out! Second chapter will be out before the next chapter of GITS, so you can use those stories to keep yourself entertained until then lol**

 **That's all I got. Sorry for not updating for so long. Sorry this chapter kinda sucks.**

 **Keep on mining, my mineshafters!**  
 **-CaptainBat**


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